Gwinnett Couple Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide, Police Say

Gwinnett Police said a husband and wife who had been married nearly 20 years were killed in an apparent murder-suicide early Friday morning near Lawrenceville.

The couple’s three children -- ages 8, 14 and 16 -- were at home when the shootings happened around 12:30 a.m. at 415 Laurelton Circle near Lawrenceville, police said. One of the children suffered a superficial gunshot wound.

Police Public Information Officer Cpl. Deon Washington said the preliminary investigation indicated Paula Gonzalez, 43, shot husband Lucio Jimenez, 51, several times before turning the gun on herself.

Police interviewed the children, who identified their parents as the victims and said the couple was involved in a physical altercation before shots were fired.

“During the dispute, Paula Gonzalez retrieved a handgun and fired several shots at Lucio Jimenez,” Washington said in the news release. “He was killed, and their daughter was grazed by a stray bullet. Afterwards, Paula Gonzalez committed suicide.”

The daughter was taken to the hospital for treatment.

“The children are with family members and DFACS is involved in the investigation,” Washington said in the news release. ”According to accounts, the couple had been married almost twenty years. Police are investigating the specifics of what led to the altercation.”