He told 911 he shot a woman and was going to shoot himself. Now they’re both dead

A man called 911 Tuesday, telling a dispatcher that he had just shot a woman and was now going to shoot himself.

When police arrived at the house in the 800 block of Havenwood Lane in the Woodhaven neighborhood, they found 71-year-old Sheila Rowland dead inside from a gunshot wound to the head and her husband, 79-year-old Thomas Rowland, critically injured, according to a Fort Worth police report.

Thomas Rowland, who had also been shot, was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital where he was pronounced dead on Wednesday, homicide Detective Tom O’Brien confirmed.

O’Brien said he believes Thomas Rowland placed the 911 call.

Rulings on the couple’s manner of deaths were still pending Thursday by the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.

A neighbor has described the husband and wife as happy and giving people. She said the wife had recently had shoulder surgery and been in a lot of pain, but seemed OK.

O’Brien said the motive behind the shootings is still under investigation.

This story was originally published May 2, 2019 at 3:38 PM with the headline "He told 911 he shot a woman and was going to shoot himself. Now they’re both dead."