Community Corner

Chesco Double Homicide Victims Were Mother And Son: State Police

A mother and son were victims in a double homicide and suicide Tuesday in Chester County, State Police have reported.

This story was updated at 3 p.m. on Thursday to include details from the Chester County District Attorney's Office.

LOWER OXFORD TOWNSHIP, PA — The victims in a double homicide reported in Chester County on Wednesday morning were a mother and son who were found assaulted and shot, according to PA State Police.

The homicide investigation was later connected to the suicide of the suspect. Police said Timothy Harris, 40, was part of two separate hit-and-run crashes just before 10 p.m. on Tuesday before getting out of his vehicle and shooting himself to death.

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The homicide deaths in Lower Oxford Township, Chester County, were deemed suspicious by Troopers from the Avondale Barracks, who arrived at 1:15 a.m. on Wednesday at a home in the 300 block of Ashmun Avenue, at Lincoln University responding to the reported cardiac arrests of two people, according to a State Police and a DA's Office report.

On arrival, Troopers instead of finding heart attack sufferers found two victims with gunshot wounds and apparent injuries from an assault, according to an updated news statement from Trooper Kevin Kochka, PSP-Avondale.

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While investigating this incident, police determined that both victims, Kimberly Harris, 53, and Jordan Foster, 22, had a physical altercation with Timothy Harris, according to the police report.

The State Police report alleges that during this altercation, Timothy Harris shot both Kimberly Harris and Jordan Foster. The Chester County District Attorney's Office said 380 shell casing were found at the scene.

EMS crews attempted life-saving measures, but both victims died of their injuries at the scene.

The narrative of what happened unfolded on Wednesday. The exact time of the homicide is still under investigation, Kochka said. However, while investigating, the Avondale State Police Barracks received a report that earlier on Monday night — at approximately 9:44 p.m. — the suspect from the homicide, Timothy Harris, was involved in a hit-and-run crash in East Marlborough Township.

Police said Timothy Harris then fled the first crash scene and then crashed again in Kennett Township around 9:53 p.m. Around this time, Harris got out of his vehicle and shot himself, police said. He died at the scene, the police report said.

Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said, "This is a horrible tragedy that will forever alter the victims' family, and my sympathy goes out to them. We will use all our investigative resources to discover why this shocking event happened. Thank you to the Pennsylvania State Police and the Kennett Township Police for quickly securing the scene, ensuring the safety of the community."

The Troop J major case team was activated to investigate this incident. Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call Pennsylvania State Police, Avondale at 610-268-2022.

The homicide investigation is being led by members of the Pennsylvania State Police, Avondale Barracks, Criminal Investigations Unit. The suicide is being investigated by Kennett Township Police, the Chester County Detectives, and the Chester County District Attorney's Office.

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