Father, son dead in apparent murder-suicide
LONGVIEW, Wash. (KOIN) – A man and his son were found dead in what investigators say is likely a murder-suicide in Washington Thursday morning.
David Michael Pittore-Montiel was 34 and his son, Michael, was 7 years old. Neighbors said Pittore-Montiel was a single father and that the boy’s mother lives in California.
Longview police received a call about a suicidal man around 5:30 a.m. Thursday and responded to the apartment in the 900 block of 8th Avenue. Officers heard shots when they got to the door and found the man and child dead inside.
Pittore-Montiel worked at a nearby McDonald’s. A local Mormon Church leader said Pittore-Montiel was a Sunday school teacher.
Pittore-Montiel reached out to several people on social media early Thursday morning, indicating that he was in a crisis. Those who he reached out to said they responded with words of support and called police.
Longview Public School Superintendent Dan Zorn said the boy was a 1st-grader at Northlake Elementary school.
Counselors from across the district are being brought in to support the students.
A statement from the Lower Columbia Community Action Program said Pittore-Montiel had overcome many obstacles in his life. Staff said he grew up in foster care and was homeless after being discharged from the military.
With help from the CAP, he found housing for himself and Michael and got counseling to deal with issues of his past. He also found work and went back to school to get a degree in criminal justice.
“CAP staff mourns this tragic event. After fighting so hard to overcome one hurdle after another, David lost his final struggle. CAP offers condolences to the family and friends of David and his son. We share their grief and loss.”
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