Police Suspect Murder-Suicide After Husband, Wife Found Dead

FLORISSANT, MO — Police say a man fatally shot his wife then himself in Florissant Monday night. A neighbor found 43-year-old Mahmoud Abukanan and 40-year-old Linda Abukanan in the basement of their home on the 1500 block of Man O' War Drive shortly before 8:45 p.m. The neighbor had gone to check on the couple after their children had fled the home looking for help.

Police said Linda Abukanan was shot multiple times. Her husband was shot once in the head, likely self-inflicted.

According to the gun control group Everytown, millions of American women are shot by domestic partners every year, and the presence of a gun in the home makes a woman five times more likely to die from domestic violence.

A 2008 study from the Harvard School of Public Health also showed a link between firearm ownership and suicide.

"Studies show that most [suicide] attempters act on impulse, in moments of panic or despair. Once the acute feelings ease, 90 percent do not go on to die by suicide," said Harvard Injury Control Research Center director David Hemenway. His research indicates that whether someone who attempts suicide lives or dies is heavily dependent on his or her access to firearms.

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