Church Shooting - at a friend's Church in Arizona ....

[JimT]

Police: Suspect spent hours drinking after killing of wife
Allison Denny, Leigh Munsil and Cyrus Karimi
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 13, 2007 09:44 AM

The man who police say shot dead his estranged wife and wounded his 4-year-old daughter Wednesday morning committed suicide that night in a concrete drainage tunnel near his Glendale home after spending the afternoon drinking at a friend's house.

Daniel Paulo Parasca, 37, ended a violent day with a self-inflicted gunshot wound - fewer than 13 hours after killing Gabriela Parasca, 30, and wounding the couple's daughter in a Phoenix church parking lot, police said.

The friend called police at around 7 p.m. Wednesday and told them Daniel Parasca had been at his house since 1 p.m. The friend said he had been unaware of the shooting until Parasca asked for a ride to his home near Loop 101 and 35th Avenue because he had been drinking, but asked him to keep driving when they saw the police and media outside the house.

The friend drove him to 47th Avenue and Beardsley Road, not far from the home, and asked him why the police were at his house, police said.

Daniel Parasca replied that he had shot his wife, the friend said. The friend dropped Daniel Parasca off there, then went home and called the police, he said.

Officers searched the area and found Daniel Parasca dead in a tunnel under 47th Avenue in a desert area north of Loop 101 along Beardsley at around 9:40 p.m.

A handgun was found at the scene, and police were investigating whether it's the one used in the shooting of Gabriela Parasca, police said.

The day began when Daniel Parasca pulled up next to his wife while she was dropping their two children off at the Cathedral Christian Academy, a church-operated school, police said. About 9 a.m., Daniel Parasca approached his wife's black Nissan SUV in the parking lot of Cathedral Christian Center, near 51st Avenue and Bell Road in Phoenix, and fired several shots, said Detective Stacie Derge of the Phoenix Police Department. The shots killed Gabriela Parasca and injured the couple's daughter in the knee. The girl's injuries were non-life-threatening. Her 3-year-old brother was not injured.

Daniel Parasca dropped the girl off at a hospital, where she underwent surgery, authorities said. He then took the boy to a family member's home near 136th Avenue and Acapulco Lane in Surprise. The 3-year-old boy is now with family members and the girl will also be with family members when she is released from the hospital, police said.In a restraining order obtained by 12 News, Gabriela Parasca said her husband had hit her in front of the children and threatened to kill her. The order was issued in August. The two children have been students at the church school since at least September, said Nathan LaFon, the children's pastor at Cathedral Christian Center and principal of the school.LaFon said he had never personally seen the Parascas at church, and all he knew about them was that they tried their best to get the kids to school."This is a heartbreaking situation," LaFon said. "It's a very sad day."

Carol Muenchow, 50, lives nearby and heard three or four shots fired."I can't imagine what those children are going through," Muenchow said.

The friend of Daniel Parasca has been cooperative with police and will not be charged with anything, police said. Daniel Parasca's 2001 Mitsubishi Lancer was recovered at his friend's house.

Republic reporter Lily Leung contributed to this story.

****
Lot of good that restaining order did ... sadly ... too many people put their trust in a peice of paper ...

[Ysabel Kid]

I just can't imagine things ever being so bad that one would hurt his own child... God spare us all that kind of anguish...

[AmBraCol]

Lot of good that restaining order did ... sadly ... too many people put their trust in a peice of paper ...

My thoughts exactly. Restraining orders and "Gun Free Zones" do nothing against those who desire to do harm to others. They only "work" with reasonable people, and reasonable people are NOT the type against which such measures are usually enacted.

[PPpastordon]

JimT;
Prayers are again going to be lifted for another senseless murder. I will also be lifting you and your friend.
I was touched by your friend's few, simple, powerful words, "It's a very sad day." That is the same (usually unspoken) emotion I feel on such days, or because of such events.
Going now - to check your blog!
PPpastordon
pastordon.wordpress.com