Brian Gornick, Staff Writer
Courtesy of WXYZ
Police identified the couple that was found dead of an apparent murder-suicide: Matthew Ethington II, 26, and Maria Martin, 22. They were both found dead in a Livonia condo.
Both were Detroit police officers. According to 7 Action News, both were on the force for less than five years.
Police were called to the residence in the area of Farmington and 6 Mile Roads for a welfare check around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Inside the home, police said they found Ethington and Martin both dead from apparent gunshot wounds. Also inside the home was a baby who was present at the time of the incident, now in the care of a family member.
The incident was described by Detroit Police Chief James White as a “sad day for the department.” White was present at the scene.
White did not state what exactly led up to the encounter, but he did say it is believed to be the result of a domestic dispute. Livonia police also stated that Ethington shot Martin multiple times, before turning the gun on himself.
Sunday’s shooting draws parallels to the murder-suicide of two other Detroit police officers over a decade ago in 2009.
Edward Gordon Williams II, 36, shot his wife, Patricia Catherine Williams, 33, in the parking lot of a library in Canton before turning the gun on himself. Williams’ murder was a result of a domestic dispute, same as Martin, leading to calls for greater awareness on the risk of domestic violence in the line of police officers.
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