By Jon Johnson
PIMA – Authorities in Pima are probing what appears to be a tragic murder-suicide after discovering four people dead from gunshot wounds inside a home.
The grim scene unfolded Thursday just before 1 p.m. at a residence located at 27 South Main Street, just south of the Center Street intersection. Pima Police, supported by officers from the Safford and Thatcher departments as well as the Graham County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a welfare check that uncovered the bodies.
Among the deceased were Duane Michael Jones, 64, his daughter Justice Jones, and her two young children, aged 8 and 10. Investigators noted that all four victims suffered gunshot injuries, with the firearm remaining in Duane Jones’ possession at the scene.
Yellow crime scene tape sealed off the area, and a Safford Police mobile command center was set up to coordinate the response. The site stayed under lockdown well into the evening as teams secured search warrants to process the evidence and thoroughly document the incident.
The remains will be transported to Tucson, where the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner will conduct autopsies.
Assisting the Pima Police at the scene were the Safford and Thatcher Police Departments and Graham County Sheriff’s Office. In a press release, the Pima Police advises that it does not believe there are any outstanding suspects related to the incident and it “extends its condolences to the family and community affected by this tragic event.”
