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14-year-old Ava Wood and her 51-year-old father, Christopher Wood, were found dead inside their upstate New York home on the morning of January 20, 2022, in an apparent murder-suicide.
Authorities reported that Ava was found in a separate room from her father, and both had fatal gunshot wounds to the head, with Christopher's wound seemingly self-inflicted.
The bodies were located through a welfare check at the residence, 6 Triangle Place, after the girl's mother, Heather Wood, reported no response at their door and that Ava did not leave for school.
Authorities have opened a criminal investigation into her murder.
What was going on at Ava Wood's household
Authorities reported that Christopher Wood and his wife, Heather Wood, were married but estranged and living separately at the time of the incident.
Two days prior to the incident, Christopher Wood had sent threatening text messages to his wife. As per reports from Syracuse.com, Ava Wood's mother told the police that on the night of January 19, 2022, she had a phone call with Christopher where he told her:
"This is how it ends for us."
Baldwinsville Central School District announced the news on Facebook, mentioning that the after-school evening activities have been suspended for Friday over the tragic death of Durgee Junior High School ninth grader Ava Wood. The high school arranged counseling and support services for students and families that evening.
Ava's death marks the second murder of a young girl in Central New York last week, with 11-year-old Brexialee Torres-Ortiz's murder on the night of January 16 in a drive-by shooting.
In a press conference, Baldwinsville Police Chief Michael Lefancheck said,
"It's not an easy scene for either of us to witness. Both the sheriff and I have been in law enforcement for a long time and to have to walk through a scene like that is not an easy thing to do."
Onondaga County Sheriff Tobias Shelley told reporters that they had been informed of two incidents involving Ava Wood's parents in March 2022 and on January 18, 2023, both of which included violence, with one being a stalking incident and the other being alleged aggravated harassment.
Ava Wood was a popular and social student
Ava Wood was a sports enthusiast and participated in athletics, soccer, and track & field. She was #18 on Baldwinsville's Girls' Junior Varsity Soccer team.
As reported by Syracuse.com, Ava was popular and social, had a tight circle of friends, and also made the honor roll for the most recent quarter. Friends and coaches said that she had innate skills in track and soccer and drove herself to go faster.
Following the tragic incident, the Baldwinsville school district sent out an email to parents and staff informing them about Ava's death and wrote:
"We are a close-knit school community, and our hearts are broken by this tragedy. Our thoughts are with Ava's family and friends during this extremely difficult time."
On January 21, 2023, Ava's mother, Heather Wood, expressed her gratitude towards the Central New York Community and thanked it for its love and support towards her family.
The investigation remains ongoing, although police believe that Christopher Wood shot his daughter, Ava Wood, and then shot himself.
St. Mary of the Assumption Church at 47 Syracuse Street in Baldwinsville held a candlelight vigil and prayer service on Sunday evening and live-streamed the service on YouTube.
