Cops heard the mother-in-law of NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson kill herself after she shot dead her husband and 11-year-old grandson, according to reports. Muskogee Police officers in Oklahoma reportedly said that they heard a single gunshot after they reached the home of Janways after receiving a 911 call.
In fact, police believe that the female voice that made the 911 call was that of Johnson's mother-in-law Terry Lynn Janway, who told cops that there was a gun in the house before abruptly hanging up. Terry Lynn Janway, 68, her husband Jack Janway, 69, and their grandson were all found shot dead at their Oklahoma home in what police believe was a murder-suicide.
Killed Herself after Cops Arrived
Once they arrived at the scene, cops discovered Jack lying in the hallway just inside the house's front entrance. Shortly after, they heard additional gunshots. In response, the officers swiftly moved the body away from the premises and urged anyone else present inside to exit the house.
Later, the police discovered the remaining two bodies in a different area of the residence.
Police claim that Terry called 911 and then hung up after reporting a "woman with a gun."
Terry is being treated as the shooting suspect by the police. They have not yet revealed a motive behind the horrific murder-suicide.
As part of the ongoing investigation, law enforcement officials have said that they plan to interview neighbors and relatives for further information.
Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup champion, has been married to Chandra Janway since 2004, and the couple shares two daughters -- Genevieve and Lydia.
Following the tragic incident involving his family, Jimmie Johnson, who was scheduled to participate in a NASCAR's Cup Series Street event in Chicago, decided to pull out from the race.
"The Johnson family has asked for privacy at this time and no further statements will be made," Legacy Motor Club said on Twitter.
Tragedy-Stricken Family
The tragedy comes nine years after the Janway's 27-year-old son, Jordan, died during a skydiving accident in California. Jordan lost his life when he collided with another skydiver during a free fall and was unable to deploy his parachute.
Muskogee Public Schools released a statement on Tuesday expressing their condolences and grieving the loss of Dalton, who was a part of their school community.
"Dalton was a fifth-grade student at Sadler Arts Academy who was cherished by his teachers and fellow classmates," the statement said.
"Our heart goes out to the entire Rougher community who knew him as a friend and classmate."
"It's been so tough for myself to sit back and watch the people I love deal with so much pain," Johnson said at the time.
Johnson went on to describe his brother-in-law as a "very adventurous guy" who died "doing something he loved."
Jordan was a member of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare between 2007 and 2008 and had been providing training to fellow personnel.
Muskogee Police Officer Lynn Hamlin confirmed that the neighborhood was not in danger after the triple shooting. "It's looking very likely that it's a murder-suicide. At approximately 9:05 pm, dispatch received a 911 call from a female caller who stated that there was a disturbance and someone had a gun and then hung up," Hamlin said.
She added: "When officers arrived on scene they saw a subject laying in the hallway inside the front door.
"Shortly after arriving officers heard another gunshot from further inside the house.
"Officers rescued the subject laying inside the hallway and determined the subject was deceased. They began making announcements for any other occupants to come outside.
"Once enough officers arrived on scene a search of the residence was conducted and two more subjects were found deceased inside the residence."
Muskogee Mayor Marlon Coleman knew the Janway family and said that they were prominent members of the community.
"It was traumatizing to find out that a long-standing family who had made so many contributions to our community were involved in this type of incident," the mayor said.
"It was even more bone-chilling to find out there was a child involved."
In addition to their involvement in the community, it was noted by the mayor that Jack Janway owned the Janway Chiropractic and Acupuncture business. "I knew Dr. Janway. Dr. Janway has worked on me, we've been acquaintances for a very, very long time since I've been in Muskogee," Coleman said. "Just knowing that it was him and his family took a different toll on me."
