In a tragic incident, a father and his two young children were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide at a home in Surprise, Arizona. The incident occurred on May 20 near Bell and Litchfield Roads. Surprise Police received a call just after 12:30 p.m. from a woman who was going through a divorce with her estranged husband, 34-year-old Brock Mater. Her 7-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter were visiting their father over the weekend.
The woman told police that she had not heard from Mater or her children, and the children’s school had reported their absence as unexcused. “The mother informed officers that she had attempted to call the children’s father multiple times without success,” police stated. She then went to Mater’s residence and knocked on the door multiple times without a response.
Officers were dispatched to Mater’s home, where they received no response after knocking and calling. Upon entering the home, they discovered Mater and both children dead, each with a gunshot wound to the head. A rifle was found across the father’s lap, indicating an apparent murder-suicide.
Investigators revealed that Mater was undergoing mental health treatment. The community reacted with shock and sorrow. “It’s terrible and I hope that it doesn’t happen again here,” a neighbor said. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots but were unable to determine their origin. “Detectives were able to contact neighbors and those neighbors believe that from sounds that they have heard, that most likely the deceased were there overnight,” said Surprise Police Sgt. Rick Hernandez.
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This tragic event follows closely on the heels of another incident in Surprise on May 17, where a father allegedly shot his 7-month-old son multiple times before taking his own life. “A number of the officers who responded to the hostage situation on May 17, were the officers who responded yesterday. So, those officers are off today. They are with their loved ones to recover and recuperate,” Sgt. Hernandez added. “It’s weighing a heavy toll.”