A family was left in shock after a man killed his girlfriend before he died by suicide in their Westland, Michigan, home.
Officers with the Westland Police Department responded to the home on Farragut Avenue around 7:00 a.m. on Monday, November 9, after they received a report that a man was threatening suicide, according to Click on Detroit.
By the time officers arrived at the home, they were told by dispatch that the man had died by suicide. The officers then entered the residence and found a deceased woman in the home alongside the man’s body.
A brief investigation was launched into the matter, and police said they believe the pair died in a domestic murder-suicide.
The deceased were later identified as Laron Brown and his longtime girlfriend, Katlin Morris, according to 7 News Detroit.
Brown’s brother, Devon Parker, told the outlet that he received a disturbing text from his brother early on Monday morning before the killings. “It didn’t sound like he was joking. It felt intense,” he said.
Parker then claimed that Brown threatened to kill himself and Morris, 30.
“I immediately tell him, like, ‘Hey bro, whatever you’re going through, it’s not that serious. Don’t worry. Calm down. Whatever,’” he said. “That’s when he said, ‘Hey, I’ll text you the code to the door … you gone find her like that, and I don’t care how fast you think that Durango is, you’re not going to make it here in time.’”
Parker said he then went to the home and looked in the kitchen window, where he saw his brother’s body on the floor.
“I want to this to be one of those situations where we really stop and think about the mental health of our loved ones, our coworkers,” Parker said. “People who we haven’t talked to in years.”
He then encouraged people to “take the time to reach out to someone, let them know, ‘Hey, I love you. Haven’t talked to you in a minute. Just checking on you.’”
Morris’ loved ones also spoke to 7 News Detroit, with her aunt Deanna Mullins saying that Morris “had a big heart” and “was a Halloween baby.”
“Since we’ve lost my sister, Katlin’s mom, me and her have been really close. She’s been like a daughter to me. She was a hard worker,” Mullins explained.
Morris’ uncle Mark Mullins also shared that she was “a hard worker” and was “always” working. “She’d always want to come over and hang at our house,” Mark said, adding, “She’d never want to leave. I’d have to kick her out half the time.”
Morris’ family said that she and Brown dated for years, and their loved ones were left in shock over the shooting.
“Ron was a great guy, and he’s been part of the family forever, and like we said, people have their days and today was one of those days,” Morris’ uncle Gary Groves said. “We don’t know what happened, but we love both of them.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
