Vegas officer, wife and son dead in murder-suicide
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Las Vegas police lieutenant, his wife and son are dead after an apparent double murder, suicide and arson at their home in Boulder City, authorities said Monday.
Clark County Sheriff Douglas Gillespie and other officials didn't immediately identify the police officer or the family members, pending positive identification and the release of names by the Clark County coroner.
"There was an incident today involving one if Metro's lieutenants," a somber Gillespie said in a 2 1/2-minute statement to reporters at a hastily called news conference. "Several bodies were discovered."
Coroner Michael Murphy said after investigators left the fire-charred home Monday afternoon that identifications would probably be made Tuesday.
Gillespie, the elected head of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said the lieutenant was a 20-year Las Vegas police veteran. Gillespie spoke of unanswered questions and "untold grief" for family members, friends and co-workers. He took no questions.
The sheriff said the investigation in Boulder City, about 20 miles southeast of Las Vegas, was being handled by police in neighboring Henderson.
Henderson police spokesman Keith Paul said a man called 911 at about 8:20 a.m. Monday and told a dispatcher he killed his wife and child, set his house afire and would shoot anyone who approached.
The home is owned by Hans Walters, according to Clark County assessor records. Many know Walters as a Las Vegas police lieutenant married to a former Las Vegas police officer, Kathryn Walters. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that she left the department in 2005.
Boulder City police arrived to find the homeowner with a handgun in the doorway of the burning house before he retreated back inside and apparently killed himself, Paul said.
No shots were fired by police or SWAT officers from Henderson and North Las Vegas who later found the bodies of a 52-year-old man, a 46-year-old woman and a boy inside, Paul said. Officials said the boy was believed to be about 7.
"We're investigating the incident as a murder-suicide at this time," Paul said.
Clark County Sheriff Douglas Gillespie and other officials didn't immediately identify the police officer or the family members, pending positive identification and the release of names by the Clark County coroner.
"There was an incident today involving one if Metro's lieutenants," a somber Gillespie said in a 2 1/2-minute statement to reporters at a hastily called news conference. "Several bodies were discovered."
Coroner Michael Murphy said after investigators left the fire-charred home Monday afternoon that identifications would probably be made Tuesday.
Gillespie, the elected head of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, said the lieutenant was a 20-year Las Vegas police veteran. Gillespie spoke of unanswered questions and "untold grief" for family members, friends and co-workers. He took no questions.
The sheriff said the investigation in Boulder City, about 20 miles southeast of Las Vegas, was being handled by police in neighboring Henderson.
Henderson police spokesman Keith Paul said a man called 911 at about 8:20 a.m. Monday and told a dispatcher he killed his wife and child, set his house afire and would shoot anyone who approached.
The home is owned by Hans Walters, according to Clark County assessor records. Many know Walters as a Las Vegas police lieutenant married to a former Las Vegas police officer, Kathryn Walters. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that she left the department in 2005.
Boulder City police arrived to find the homeowner with a handgun in the doorway of the burning house before he retreated back inside and apparently killed himself, Paul said.
No shots were fired by police or SWAT officers from Henderson and North Las Vegas who later found the bodies of a 52-year-old man, a 46-year-old woman and a boy inside, Paul said. Officials said the boy was believed to be about 7.
"We're investigating the incident as a murder-suicide at this time," Paul said.
There will be more of these instances as we progress.Â
It won't get any better in fact it will be getting much worse.
People are now at there breaking point. Makes no matter rather or not you think you are sane. Any one of us can snap at any moment and decide to do this fate. When you lose the ability to control your mind, you lose all ability to rationalize things through.
 Sorry to break it to you but this is the new reality .
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Like I said in a previous post you will read of another shooting in today's article.
The Next shooting story might be even more shocking for you. Who knows the next story might very will be of a military person committing suicide, Or it could be some person that has had no record that completely snaps .
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After reading what a 5 year old girl did and how the school took control of the situation....Nothing shocks nor surprises me anymore. Even if they post a 6 year old with a gun goes and shoots some one, it won't phase me any more. Because I know what is going on. Evil is taking over . You may not like to think of "Evil" but I assure you it is all to real and this is the result of it.
It is only a matter of time when it comes full scale. and when it does, who are you going to turn to?
 Uh, yeah...I am not at my "breaking point". Is this some sort of cry for help on your part? What are you about to do? Do we need to call the police? I don't know what part of the city you're are living in but evil is not taking over here. Oh, and predicting there will be another shooting today is pretty lame on your part. There have bee shootings everyday for as long as there have been guns...you need to quit watching Fox News.
 @lee986321 Can't tell if you're using your ''As the World Turns'' or Twilight Zone'' voice, but either way, speak for yourself. Stress and personal <----- (personal meaning this individual not anyone else) issues have been snapping brains forever. Keep living in your whoa are we, the sky done fell world though, lee. You're surely moving closer to the edge everyday. Hope someone is watching. For all of our sakes. Â
Evidently cops shouldn't have guns either... using gun hater logic. This is such a tragic situation it's beyond words.
 @The Resistance I would say the argument is this:  if even the best trained men could snap...would you want him at your kid's school?  Familicide in America usually involves a gun and it is also why we lead the world in this type of slaying.  But it happens in other countries too; sometimes with other weapons.  What is worse is when they decide to take out others along for the ride.
 I am not a "gun hater" and I don't think most of the folks advocating for some form of gun control are either.  I grew up with guns in our home.  But I do not think removing a few makes or models from the market is a bad idea.  We need background checks and we need some form of checks and balances for people because too many times gun owners are not taking proper care to ensure their weapons are not used in a crime.  Other owners buy weapons they have no idea how to use safely.
@BCH mom --- I like your reply, well thought out. I just feel that removing guns from the market place won't make much difference. There are way too many guns in private hands for that to make a difference. I am a big fan of the Eddie Eagle program and believe gun safety should be taught in school. Also national military service should be mandatory for both men and women.
For him to do something this aweful, there has to be something else which happened!
What the he double hockey sticks is going on these days? And why?
 @jpk   There's no single answer to your question. It's very complex. Humans are complex. Some of what I see happening is people just being disconnected from one another. Everywhere you go whether it's out to dinner, at the mall, the doctors office, wherever, too many people are messing around with their cell phone instead of looking each other in the eye and having a real, honest conversation. I've seen large family groups out to dinner and everyone from grandma on down the line has a phone. It's weird. I know a couple who have two kids, ages 9 and 7 who both have a freaking phone! Sure, they just have a buddy list and they can play games on it but shouldn't they be playing with each other making up games, drawing pictures, playing dress up, playing a board game or any number of other things that kids were doing 20 years ago or more? And how about the television? People are consumed by it. How many families do you know that even sit down at a dinner table together these days? Not many. My kids are all in their 20's now but when they were at home and their friends would come over I can't even begin to count the number of kids who said they NEVER eat dinner with their families. They thought it was the weirdest thing to sit down at the table with us. But they liked it.  If people spent more time having face to face communication maybe someone would have noticed this man was in distress. I have neighbors from many other countries. Our area is very multicultural. What I have observed in two families, both from the same culture, there are three generations living in the same house. The older ones taking care of the younger ones while the parents work. Another culture they have friends and extended family that stop by regularly, pretty much daily for coffee or just to visit. American families don't do those things. We are totally missing out. If you watch documentaries on other countries this is common.
People being out of work and losing their homes is another big one.
Clearly this is only scratching the surface but I believe the human disconnect is a big factor in all the horror here in the U.S.
 @PTLD CITIZEN  @jpk There has to be a balance on what we did 20/30 years ago and what we do today. I agree that social media and devices have replaced face to face interactions. That we no longer identify with one another, live. We're forgetting how to, because text (written words, not just cell texting) has always been different than live conversation. Live you have to develop and maintain skills that aren't required in non verbal communications. At the same time, we are progressing (term used loosely) and seriously aren't satisfied with yesterdays technology. As far as television entertainment? Never was there a better dumbing down tool, nor will there ever be, again. Control the television and you'll control the world.Â
 @jpk I am wondering the same thing.
 There has to be more to this story then what is written. People especially law enforcement officers just don't go and do things of this nature.
 @jpk Its that d*mn global warming making everyone crazy.
...just don't know what to say to this... I can't imagine ever deliberately killing anyone...well, except in self-defense... even less so when it's loved ones... presumably, they were loved ones at some point in time...
Something obviously happened, but the sad part is, it's too late now to do anything that might have helped him... there are people who just bottle things up inside them; never talk about what's troubling them... then one day, it all just violently unravels...Â
My heart goes out to the other family members and friends... Â I expect they will be asking "why" for a long, long time... and the answers will not be easily found...
 @margay1 I'm not trying to justify what happen.  Yet, my uncle did just this, a murder/suicide.  I know that part of my family was under a lot of stress, and this article doesn't say anything about the stress in this families lives.
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I still fell the lost of my extended family members and I wish the best for the friends and family of this family also.
Another nightmare for the antigunners who say that only cops and the military can be trusted with guns. As a cop he would know that murder is against the law. Clearly he chose to ignore laws and commit several serious crimes.
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More proof that laws don't work until after the fact when they are used to prosecute folks. In this case there is nothing to prosecute.
Here is how these things should proceed, if one wants to commit suicide then hey do that part of the murder suicide situation first.Â
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Simply put, the suicide comes first then the murders.
Outlaw guns then only criminals will have guns.
 @IcarusÂ
Where have you been? I haven't seen you for a while. Or maybe we just haven't crossed paths lately.
 @Icarus They should ban fire also.
I SWEAR I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY IF PEOPLE WANNA KILL THEMSELVES THEY GOTTA TAKE OTHER WITH THEM. IF YOU REALLY WANNA DIE THAT BAD GO KILL YOURSELF AND LEAVE YOUR FAMILY AND ALL OTHERS OUT OF IT. I MEAN SURE PEOPLE WILL BE SAD BUT ITS EVEN WORSE TO KILL MORE INNOCENT PEOPLE WHEN THEY WERENT THE ONES WANTING TO DIE.... SO SAD HOW OFTEN THIS HAPPENS.
 @njasimer21290 Makes no sense at all. There just not rational obviously.
 @TreeWizard i know its so sad.