A veteran D.C. police detective is dead following a domestic shooting Friday in Waldorf, Maryland, according to police. The Charles County Sheriff’s Office said it was checking out a report of two people dead inside a Waldorf home Friday night, when it discovered two bodies, a husband and wife, in what is believed to be a case of murder-suicide. Detectives said their preliminary investigation found that Christina Francis, 41, shot her husband, Timothy Francis, 50, before shooting herself. Det. Timothy Francis had been a member of the D.C. Police Department for 20 years, according to a statement issued Saturday by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). “Mourning the tragic loss of our colleague and friend is extremely difficult,” said Chief Peter Newsham. “Detective Francis spent two decades protecting the community from violence, and to learn that he was the victim of a homicide is heartbreaking.” Calling Francis a “stand up guy,” the D.C. Police Union tweeted “Tim was one of the best detectives in [the Criminal Investigation Department]. His father was also a detective that worked nearly 45 years for MPD … The MPD has lost a true detective today and he will not soon be replaced.”

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The preliminary investigation revealed a “family member” found the pair dead after trying to contact his daughter throughout the day and when he did not hear from “her or her husband,” went to their house, according to a Charles County Sheriff’s Office news release. The investigation remains “ongoing” and anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Det. Weaver with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office at 301-609-6571.