Two bodies found, police officer shot: Witnesses talk about the murder-suicide investigation

El Paso Police believe the two bodies found at separate locations Tuesday are linked to the shooting of an El Paso Police officer in the Lower Valley Monday night.

Police say they believe the man, whose identity has not been released, shot the officer last night, then allegedly killed the woman in the home, and then committed suicide.

Police have not given a motive for the killings or for the shooting of the officer.

“There’s no indication whatsoever, at this point, that the suspect even knew the officer individually,” El Paso Police spokesman Sgt. Chris Mears said. “In fact, what I’m trying to say is we believe at this point that he was targeting an officer, not a specific officer.”

“I heard four gun shots,” said witness Christy Minjarez. “And I was like is it really fireworks or gunshots?”

Police say the man was in a passing car when he shot the officer just before 9 p.m. Monday in the 8100 block of North Loop, near Yarbrough.

The officer was conducting a traffic stop.

Witnesses said they saw the car drive pastthe officer and heard four gunshots.

The officer, whose name has not been released, is in stable condition at an El Paso hospital.

“I was sitting down with my girlfriend and we just heard a really loud bang,” said witness Bryan Torres, who lives near a home on the 1200 block of Sal Rasura. That’s where police found the woman’s body around 5 a.m. Her name has not been released.

Hours later, around 9:30 a.m., police responded to a call on the 9400 block of Alameda where a body was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

“I heard knocking behind our doors where it leads to the alley and I didn’t respond or anything to it,” said an employee who works the business in front of where the body was found. “I just ignored it because I didn’t want to open it for my security.”

She said she believes the knocking on her door was that of the garbage man, who initially found the body behind the dumpster.

“He’s a suspect. He committed suicide,” Mears said of the man who allegedly shot the officer and killed the woman. “You’re not a victim of suicide. And we believe he’s a suspect in a murder, and possibly, in an attempted capital murder of a police officer. So, I wouldn’t call him a victim. I can tell you he’s a Hispanic male in his 30s.”

“It is scary and it hits home, its close to home, and its very scary what this town is becoming and what this world is becoming,” Minjarez said.

‘Fear? No,” Torres said. “I heard that the man killed himself after, so there’s nothing to fear no more.”