The suburb of Selma, located in the southeast portion of Fresno County, is the scene of what local police are calling a murder- suicide. The Fresno Bee reports that police received multiple calls alerting them to possible shots fired on the afternoon of January 5. When the police arrived, they found one woman outside the home and one inside the home suffering from gunshot wounds. Both victims succumbed to their injuries at the scene. A man, believed to be the assailant, was also found inside the home with what has been reported as a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  His wounds also proved fatal despite the best efforts of medical professionals at Community Regional Medical Center.

Though details are still emerging about the incident, there were a number of witnesses inside the house who are being questioned by police. Early reports indicate the shooting may have resulted from a long-term romantic relationship that had soured. If this is the case, it is further evidence of a troubling trend in the nation: between 2001 and 2012, 11, 766 women were killed by their former or current romantic partners. These staggering numbers indicate that the societal response to domestic violence has not been adequate.