on Yelp
Located in Orange County, Laguna Woods has a population that consistently has hovered at about 16,000 people for the past two decades. The median age of residents of Laguna Woods is 78. The reason for the older median age rests in the fact that the residential properties in the city are virtually all within Laguna Woods Village. Laguna Woods Village is a private, gated retirement community.
About 90 percent of the land within Laguna Woods is included in the retirement community itself. The remainder encompasses the city hall and businesses of different types.
The businesses in the city have a sharp focus on the needs and interests of people in their Golden Years. The crime rate in Laguna Woods is one of the lowest in the state of California. Incidents of violent crimes are virtually nonexistent in the community. One exception is the tragic case involves a couple in the retirement community who had been married for almost 50 years.
Laguna Woods Murder-Suicide
Early in the afternoon, the married couple was in their bedroom while their caretaker was taking care of the same day to day tasks in another part of the home. The caretaker reported she heard the couple get into a heated argument. As the argument progressed, the caretaker stated that she heard the gunfire coming from the bedroom.
When she heard the gunfire, the caretaker ran out of the house and called 911. Shortly after vacating the residence, she heard another round of gunfire and elected to go back inside the residence.
A considerable amount of false information surrounded what transpired after that point. The Orange County Sheriff dispatched the SWAT team because they were told by someone near the residence that a man was wandering about with a gun. That proved to false and the SWAT team immediately stood down.
Law enforcement investigators found both the husband and wife dead in the bedroom. The evidence at the scene indicated that the husband shot the wife and then turned the firearm on himself to take his own life. No one else was injured.
A neighbor advised law enforcement, and others, that the husband shot the wife in a mercy killing. The contention was that the wife had some sort of horrible illness and no longer wanted to live. Sheriff’s investigators stated that the evidence did not support this theory. Indeed, sheriff’s deputies dismissed the contention made by the neighbor as unsubstantiated gossip.
Law enforcement investigators ultimately surmised that the husband shot his wife as his anger rose during the argument the couple engaged in before their deaths. He then shot fatally shot himself immediately after killing his wife.
Biohazard Cleanup in Laguna Woods
When an incident occurs like a murder-suicide involving a firearm, the aftermath of the deaths can be challenging. The need for biohazard remediation exists. When it comes to biohazard cleanup in Laguna Woods in a situation like that involving the murder-suicide in the retirement community, owners of the residence bear responsibility to dealing with the scene of the deaths.
The case involving the murder-suicide in the retirement community likely presents a more complicated scenario in regard to who is responsible for the cleanup. In this situation, both owners of the retirement residence were killed. The way these types of retirement community arrangements work, ownership of the property in some manner reverts back to the company that operates the community itself. Thus, the management of the retirement community is likely the entity that becomes responsible for the cleanup of the murder-suicide scene.
Biohazard cleanup in Laguna Woods is no small task. In the aftermath of some type of violent incidents like a murder or suicide, the presence of blood, bodily fluids, and other biological material can present a dangerous or risky situation for people taking on the remediation task. Blood, bodily fluids, and other biological matter can contain what medically is known as dangerous pathogens. These are substances that can infect people with illnesses or diseases like:
- MRSA
- HIV
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
Laguna Woods Grief Therapists
Losing a loved one suddenly, including through some type of violent event, can be a truly traumatic experience. The bereavement process can feel extremely painful and overwhelming. In such a situation, a person is wise to reach out to a Laguna Woods grief therapist. Becoming involved in individual or group grief therapy may prove to be a vital step to ensure a healthy conclusion to the bereavement process. Laguna Woods grief therapists include:
Penny Karr
24310 Moulton Parkway, Suite O-101
Laguna Woods, California 92637
(949) 344-2482
Philip Copeland
2327 Via Mariposa West, Unit A
Laguna Woods, California 92637
(949) 707-5722
Sheryl Aronson
731 Avenida Majorca, Unit O
Laguna Woods, California 92637
(949) 390-9039
