Three people were found dead inside a home in North Royalton, Ohio, after a man allegedly shot his estranged ex-wife and her parents before dying from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
The incident began around 7:57 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, when the North Royalton Police Department received a call from a woman who said her estranged ex-husband’s vehicle was parked in her parents’ driveway and she could not reach them. She also told police that the man was not welcome at the residence.
Officers responded to the home at 8920 Tiffany Drive but were initially unable to contact anyone inside. After entering the residence, they found Sorin R. Ciortan dead in an upstairs hallway with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Emilia A. Ciortan was found dead in the dining room with a similar injury.
Police then withdrew from the home after noticing the suspected ex-husband’s vehicle was still outside, but the man had not been located.
The department’s Southwest Enforcement Bureau (SEB) tactical unit was called in and entered the residence. Officers found the estranged ex-husband, identified as Stefan Pascu, dead in a lower-level room with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. A firearm was found nearby.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office took custody of all 3 bodies. Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive or explained what led to the shootings.
The North Royalton Police Department’s Detective Bureau is investigating with assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Investigation (BCI). Police said the investigation remains ongoing.