Security guard killed in double-murder suicide

A security guard became the first person killed in a double-murder suicide early Sunday morning when he tried intervening in a fight between a couple feuding outside a North San Jose apartment building, authorities said Monday.

The man was fatally shot in the parking lot outside an apartment complex moments before the gunman killed his partner, who had been living in the nearby apartments, according to the San Jose Police Department. The gunman then died when he turned the gun on himself.

The shooting happened around 1 a.m. in a parking lot the 300 block of Crescent Village Circle, near River Oaks Park, San Jose police said.

The couple shared six children, ranging from the ages of one to 10 years old, authorities said. The children were at the location at the time of the shooting, police said, but it's unclear if they were inside the apartment complex or outside. The children were under the care of their maternal grandmother after the shooting.

The gunman was carrying a firearm with the serial number scratched off, according to police. There wasn't a restraining order between the involved parties at the time of the incident.

“This is worst-case scenario in a domestic dispute type of situation. This is a very, very tragic incident,” said San Jose Police Sgt. Christian Camarillo. “Now we have six kids who lost not only their mom but dad too.”

None of the names of the people killed in the shooting have been released, pending confirmation of their identities and notification of next of kin.

The killings mark the 15th and 16th deaths investigated as homicides so far this year by the San Jose Police Department.