FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — A pre-hire Fairfax County police recruit and his wife were both found dead Saturday in what police are calling apparent suicides, resulting in a “devastating tragedy for the police family,” according to Fairfax County Police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi.
Police have identified the recruit as 28-year-old Matthew Farberov. They did not identify his wife.
Police were initially notified of a person shot around 8 p.m. Saturday at the couple’s home in the Mount Vernon area. The person, who police say later died at a nearby hospital, was ultimately identified as the police recruit’s wife.
After officers left the scene, they then received another call from the recruit to return back to the home around 1:30 a.m. When they arrived, officials found the recruit inside the home, suffering from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police.
“At this point, we are treating them both as death investigations with likely suicide, but the medical examiner will help us determine the official cause and manner of death following autopsy,” Guglielmi said.
Guglielmi went on to say that Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis ordered an internal investigation to look into how the incident was handled.
"To help maintain employee wellness, our department has numerous resources available to our officers, to include Incident Support Services, Peer Support, Peer Support Canine Program, chaplains, and clinicians," the department said regarding the disturbing nature of the incident.
Guglielmi confirmed that no officers have been relieved of duty and that the investigation is still ongoing.
If you or a loved one is currently in immediate crisis, please call the suicide prevention lifeline, available 24 hours a day, at 800-273-8255. A person will listen to you, understand how your problem is affecting you, provide support and share any resources that may be helpful, according to the website.