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3 Young Children Reportedly Witness Father Kill Their Mother, Fatally Shoot Himself

WATTS (CBSLA.com) — Authorities say three young children watched their father fatally shoot their mother and then take his own life at a home in Watts Friday night.

LAPD investigators suspect the shooting may have been triggered by a domestic dispute but the exact cause is unclear.

Authorities were called to the home on Grape Street after the father allegedly shot a man sitting in a pickup truck outside.

Officers arriving to the scene said the suspect fired shots at them before going inside the house.

An hour later, an 8-year-old boy came running outside while holding a 1-year-old child. A SWAT team member rushed the children to safety.

The suspect's children told police officers that "their father had shot their mother and then shot himself," LAPD Deputy Chief Bob Green said.

The father was pronounced dead at the scene.

The mother was transported to a hospital, where she died.

The children also have a 3-year-old sibling.

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