Rhode Island Murder-Suicide: Woman, Pet Cat Shot Dead, Boyfriend Kills Self

A Rhode Island woman and her cat were shot to death by her boyfriend who later killed himself. The case is now being investigated as a murder-suicide.

According to local media reports, around 4 p.m. on Wednesday (June 17), officers from the Woonsocket Police Department arrived at a multi-unit apartment building at 706 Social Street, after they received reports about two people found unresponsive.

The officers found 44-year-old Tanya Gagnon, and her 43-year-old boyfriend, Charles Johnson, unresponsive with gunshot wounds. Both Gagnon and Johnson were pronounced dead at the scene.

Their bodies were sent for an autopsy and the results were awaited to confirm the cause of death. However, according to the police, both suffered single gunshot wounds.

Officers also found a dead cat inside the house. The cat too suffered gunshot wounds. According to the police, Johnson shot Gagnon and the cat before turning the gun on himself. A dog was found alive and unharmed.

Family members were worried when Gagnon, who was supposed to take a relative for a doctor’s appointment in the morning, never showed up. They arrived at her apartment but found no response.

"She never showed up to take the relative. That triggered people trying to go to the apartment. Some family members, from what I understand, went there as early as 1 o'clock in the afternoon to try to gain entry into the apartment, [but] weren't able to do so, and ultimately the landlord was contacted and when he made entry. That's when the discovery was made," Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas Oates told NBC 10 News

Police said the shooting occurred hours before their bodies were discovered. According to the reports, no one heard the gunshots.

Gagnon and Johnson reportedly were in a relationship for the past three years and lived together in the apartment since March. According to the authorities, no previous incidents of domestic violence were reported from the house.

"We have not had any history with them domestic-related or otherwise, any calls for disturbance," Oates said.

However, the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a nonprofit organization, noted that Johnson had a previous record of domestic abuse and other crimes, which it said was a “lethality risk factor.”

It was not clear as to who owned the gun. According to Oates, Johnson had a criminal record that restricts him from legally owning a gun. This was an ongoing investigation and no further information was available.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.