MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa — If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call 1-800-770-1650 or text ‘IOWAHELP’ to 20121.
Two people are dead following what Marshalltown police are calling a murder-suicide.
Police responded to a report of a shooting at 607 East Church Street on Wednesday at around 4:30 p.m.
When they arrived, first responders found a 57-year-old woman and a 72-year-old man, both with gunshot wounds.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The man was transported to a local hospital, but later died of his injuries.
Police believe the man shot the woman before shooting himself.
The deceased were married, but had been living separately, according to the release.
According to the Violence Policy Center, 65% of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner. 96% of the victims in those cases are female.
Local advocates began raising the alarm about an uptick in murder-suicides earlier this year, after four murder-suicides occurred in central Iowa within two months.
"We've been alarmed and very concerned," Lindsay Pingel with the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence told Local 5 in February. "It seems every week, every other week, we are hearing about individuals who are losing their lives to gender violence."
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Marshalltown police at 641-754-5725.
You can also submit tips anonymously by calling Marshall County Crime Stoppers at 641-753-1234 or by texting "marshall" followed by the tip to CRIMES (274537).