The police department reported that they found a man and woman dead inside a Phoenix apartment on Sunday night and injured a toddler.
Phoenix Police received reports of a shooting at approximately 8:30 p.m. on January 5th near 99th Avenue and Indian School Road. The incident took place inside the Avilla Gateway apartment complex.
“When officers arrived, they were informed by callers there was an argument followed by multiple shots fired inside an apartment,” Sgt. Phil Krynsky said. “Officers made entry into the apartment and found a man and a woman dead, and a toddler suffering from a gunshot wound.”
Two individuals, Andrew Corona, aged 38, and Ashlee Corona, aged 35, have been identified as the victims. Additionally, a child has been hospitalized and is currently in critical condition.
“Preliminary information suggests the male, 38-year-old Andrew Corona, shot his wife, 35-year-old Ashlee Corona, and their child in common before turning the gun on himself,” Sgt. Krynsky added.
Investigators are currently in the process of investigating what events transpired before the shooting took place.
‘It just escalated to 0 to 100′
According to neighbors, this couple had a toxic relationship. They had witnessed them arguing on previous occasions, and Sunday night was no exception.
Thanks to the attentiveness of one man, their little boy may have a chance at survival after they stopped arguing.
“I heard people arguing, and I heard multiple gunshots,” recalled witness Ruben Ojeda. Immediately, he dialed 911 to report the incident.
Uncertain about whether the loud noises he heard were fireworks, he took action when the absence of sound became noticeable.
“That’s when I think reality started to kick in. Luckily, I heard the baby cry. It wasn’t even a loud cry, it was muffled, I’m not sure if, you know, she was on top of him, or what the scenario was. But that’s what pushed me to make that phone call,” Ojeda said.
According to neighbors, the couple had been heard arguing intermittently for the past year. However, the altercation on Sunday night appeared to be louder than their usual disputes.
“It didn’t even last, from what I heard, five seconds. It just escalated to 0 to 100,” Ojeda recalled.
The police have provided limited information, stating that the toddler was urgently taken to the hospital in critical condition. However, according to Ojeda, the child’s family remains hopeful and believes that the child will pull through.
“From what I was told was, without that call, it’s possible the baby could have bled to death. Even if the baby wasn’t harmed, we don’t know how long he would have been in the house by himself. Hopefully the baby pulls through, so that’s just the best scenario that we’re hoping for,” Ojeda said.
Ashlee’s sisters arrived at the home on Monday, indicating that there will be a support system in place for the little boy.
