A Kansas man allegedly shot three of his family members after his mom asked him to help sign paperwork.
Juan Arnulfo Valenzuela-Ayala, his wife, Brenda Silva-Cervantes, and their daughter, Daisy Aracely Valenzuela, were found dead inside a home in Wichita on September 26 after they were fatally shot.
The couple’s son, Juan Valenzuela-Silva, has since been arrested and charged with capital murder.
A witness told police that Valenzuela-Silva, 21, and Silva-Cervantes, 40, were in the kitchen when she asked her son to help her sign some paperwork, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by People.
Valenzuela-Silva did not appear agitated during the conversation, according to the witness. She added that she saw Valenzuela-Silva sitting alone in the living area before she went upstairs.
After the witness left the room, she heard a “popping sound” and a scream from Valenzuela-Silva’s 25-year-old sister. The witness said that the popping sounds continued, and she later heard Valenzuela’s 2-year-old daughter crying.
Police said that Valenzuela-Silva’s brother, who was upstairs with the first witness at the time of the shootings, walked over to his brother and said, “Chill, chill, chill.”
Another witness who lived at the home told police that Valenzuela-Silva had a history of being paranoid, and he was allegedly mad at his family because he believed Valenzuela-Ayala, 49, was “talking s***” about him.
Valenzuela-Silva allegedly has a violent history, and the witness claimed he once pulled a knife on Valenzuela-Ayala because he believed his father was going to kill him. However, the incident escalated before anyone was hurt.
Valenzuela-Silva has been charged with capital murder: more than one victim and aggravated endangering of a child. Court records do not indicate if he has entered a plea as of Monday, October 19.
Following the tragedy, a GoFundMe has been set up to help the family financially in light of Valenzuela-Ayala, Silva-Cervantes and Valenzuela’s deaths.
“Our family has experienced a loss that no family should ever have to endure. We lost three beautiful lives in one unimaginable tragedy: my sister, Brenda Silva Cervantes, my brother-in-law, Juan Valenzuela, and my niece, Daisy Valenzuela,” family member Guadalupe Vazquez wrote. “There are moments when it still doesn’t feel real.”
Vazquez added that the “circumstances surrounding this tragedy have left us with a kind of heartbreak that is difficult to comprehend.”
“There is shock, there is grief, there are so many emotions that come in waves, and there are moments when all we can do is hold onto one another and try to get through the next moment,” she added.
Vazquez went on to say that any donation “will help our family with the many needs that arise during this difficult time, including bringing our loved ones home, their going-home celebration, travel and time away from work, and other unexpected family expenses as we navigate the days ahead.”
