Granbury police investigating possible murder-suicide that killed 2 adults, 2 children
Four people, including two children, are dead in Granbury after what police described as a murder-suicide, according to a news release from Granbury police.
Police said they went to a home in the 300 block of Kathy Lane around 2:50 p.m. Thursday for a welfare check and, when they entered the home, found 36-year-old Marcus Buchanan, 34-year-old Rita Buchanan, a 13-year-old girl and a 3-year-old girl dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
Police said Friday that while they currently believe this to be a murder-suicide, the investigation is still ongoing and that determination may change as they gather more information.
Granbury school district Superintendent Jeremy Glenn said in a statement that the district’s crisis-management team was ready to assist people affected by the deaths of the children, who were students in the district.
“The tragic loss of two of our precious students is heartbreaking for students, teachers and staff, and our community,” Glenn said in the statement. “Our counselors will continue to provide assistance for anyone who needs to visit with them.”
At this time, there is no evidence of anybody else being involved in the shooting, according to police.
Police did not release details on the relationship between the four people who died, but neighbors told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV that the Buchanans were one of the newest families to move onto Kathy Lane and they had seen the children outside playing.
“We saw the trampoline in the back yard, and it was triggering just knowing it will never be jumped on again, they won’t be playing in the back yard again,” neighbor Madison McVay said.
Crystal Blanchard lives across the street and told WFAA her daughter had bonded with the 13-year-old victim.
“We were really close. She always rode the bus every morning,” her daughter, Maddison Blanchard, said. “We would walk together. She was a really good person, and I am really shocked.”
Crystal Blanchard told KDFW-TV that the Buchanans moved to Granbury from Las Vegas about six months ago and that Marcus and Rita worked from home.
The 13-year-old “was always over for dinner or snacks or movie night,” Crystal Blanchard told KDFW. “I mean no, there was never any indication that anything was wrong.”
“Who does that to a child? Those children were innocent,” Crystal told KDFW. “They didn’t deserve that.”
Granbury, in Hood County, has about 11,000 residents and is about 35 miles southwest of Fort Worth.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.
This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 5:38 PM.