Posted on February 25, 2015

Fort Hood Soldier Shoots Four and Himself, Police Say

Matthew L. Schehl, Army Times, February 24, 2015

Fort Hood has been rocked by an apparent murder-suicide as a soldier fatally shot himself and three others and wounded another person in Killeen, Texas, police say.

Ata-se Giffa, 30, is suspected of killing neighbors Lydia Farina, 31, and Larry Guzman, 40, before turning a weapon on his wife, Dawn Giffa, 28, and himself Sunday night, according to the Killeen Police Department.

A fifth victim, a 41-year-old woman who police have not yet identified, was transported to Baylor Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, and is listed in serious condition.

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According to her Facebook page, Dawn Giffa was studying to be a pharmacy technician at Queen Elizabeth Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Kingston, Ontario, and the mother of a 3-year-old son who has since been taken to relatives in Canada.

Officers responded to a 911 domestic disturbance report at 10:26 p.m. Sunday night in the 1700 block of Godman Street in Killeen.

Upon arrival, they found Farina and Guzman dead from gunshot wounds, and were informed by witnesses that an armed man had fled with his wife to their home, according to police officials.

Police heard gunshots from the residence and deployed a Tactical Response Team, which attempted to communicate with Ata-Se and Dawn Giffa.

At approximately 12:30 a.m., after the team received no response, the team entered the home and found Ata-se Giffa had apparently shot his wife and then himself.

Ata-Se Giffa deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from October 2010 to October 2011 after entering active duty in August 2009, according to Fort Hood officials.

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