The Alliance Police Department has provided insight into a possible murder-suicide that occurred in Alliance, though the investigation is expected to take several months to conclude.
Alliance Police Chief Philip Lukens explained that officers responded to a request for a welfare check on two individuals on Aug. 3 at approximately 1:49 p.m. During the check, officers located a male and female who sustained visible gunshot wounds. Names were not released.
“From the initial investigation this appears to be an isolated incident with a very low public risk,” said Lukens. “The complete determination is contingent upon laboratory analysis but preliminarily it appears one party was shot and then the shooter shot themselves. Substance abuse appears to be a factor and we want to continue to remind the public of the resources on the police department website as well as the hotline phone number listed.”
Lukens encourages people to reach out for help when it is needed, noting that they may contact officers for assistance.
“We don’t like to see our community hurting, and we will always respond on a call for help,” said Lukens. “There is no call too small, and we continue to encourage the public to reach out to us for resources. We are here to help.”
Welfare checks are a resource people may utilize when there is concern about a person’s safety or well-being.
“We ask the community to simply call our dispatch phone number 308-762-4955 and officers will be dispatched,” Lukens said. “It is our pleasure to serve our community and check on individuals. Many times, there are multiple reasons, but from time to time, people need emergency assistance, and we take all of these reports very seriously.”