A Florida fire department lieutenant killed his wife before turning the gun on himself in a horrific murder-suicide on Thursday night. Shawn Yarbrough, 46, and his wife, Andrea Nicole Yarbrough, were found dead around 9:20 pm in their home in the Entrada subdivision off County Road 207.
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office determined that Shawn died by suicide, while Andrea's death was ruled a homicide. Shawn and Andrea, who worked as a financial manager, had four young children together. It remains unclear whether the children were at home during the shooting. A neighbor told News4JAX that the couple's children were not at home at the time of the shooting.
Horrific Murder-Suicide, Children Left Orphaned
Another neighbor expressed complete shock over the tragedy, describing the family as a "typical nice family." "They're really nice, really laid-back people. Just really genuine people," the neighbor said in disbelief to News4Jax.
He also mentioned that he never heard any arguments or saw any signs of domestic issues.
"Didn't know they even had any problems. Like [other] neighbors said 'they're just like a normal family.'"
When the neighbor arrived home at 12:30 am, they saw that numerous police and forensic vehicles were already on the scene.
St. Johns County Sheriff's Office confirmed the incident as a murder-suicide, describing it as a "tragic isolated incident" at a press conference on Friday.
Dr. Wendolyn Sneed, the Chief Medical Examiner, told Historic City News that Andrea Yarbrough died from a gunshot wound, and her death was classified as a homicide.
Shawn and Andrea Yarbrough married in December 2022 and had bought the home where their bodies were later found in August of that same year.
Dr. Sneed concluded that Shawn Yarbrough's gunshot wound was self-inflicted.
Andrea worked at Graybar in Jacksonville as a financial manager since starting her career there in 2019.
Motive Still Unclear
Shawn was a popular lieutenant at the St. Johns County Fire Rescue Department, where he had been employed since March 2004. Before his promotion to lieutenant, he served as an engineer.
The fire department chief where Shawn worked has recently spoken out about the tragic event.
Chief Sean McGee posted a statement on X that read: "The recently reported events were unexpected, shocking, and tragic for all those affected."
Chief McGee further remarked on how the department was devastated by the tragedy. "As a department, we are profoundly saddened by the loss of life, recognizing its enduring impact on the families and children of those affected."
The fire chief concluded his statement by saying: "My heartfelt prayers and sincerest condolences are with the victims, their families, and friends left grieving as a result of these events."
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office is actively investigating the incident and working to uncover the circumstances that led to the horrific shooting.
