A podcast host and her husband were shot and killed early Friday during a home invasion in Redmond, Washington, by a man who chased the woman away, police said. The suspect was also found dead in the home.
At 1:45 a.m. local time, officers were dispatched to the couple’s home on a report of shots fired, Redmond police said. They found three people there with gunshot wounds. All three died on the spot, police said.
Redmond police spokeswoman Jill Green confirmed in an email to CBS News that the two victims were married and lived at home. Their names have not been released.
Redmond Police Department
The mother of one of the two victims, who also lived in the home, escaped unharmed and reported the shooting, Green told CBS affiliate Kiro-TV.
“It was reported by the mother living in the residence,” Green said. “He ran out of the house and called 911.”
According to police, the female victim hosted a podcast that the suspect, identified as 38-year-old Ramin Khodakaramrezai, listened to. Greene told CBS News that Khodakaramrezai was a truck driver in Texas.
At some point, Khodakaramrejai approached her, they started communicating and then became friends, police said.
However, “things escalated,” prompting her to file a “no contact order against him,” police said in a statement.
Before Friday’s fatal shooting, police were aware of the stalking case and tried to help the family, Greene told Kiro-TV. He said there was a warrant against Khodakaramrezai before the attack, but investigators were unable to locate him.
“They (police) were working with the family, and telling them to be safe, and giving them tips and telling them to call anytime,” Green said. “This is the worst possible outcome of a stalking situation.”