The Hall County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the Thursday morning, June 27, deaths of a man and his two-year-old son in a murder-suicide off of Poplar Springs Road.
Sheriff’s deputies initially responded at approximately 12:30 a.m. to 4821 Poplar Springs Road in reference to a man assaulting a 23-year-old woman and leaving the residence with the couple’s two- year-old son.
Deputies began to search the area for the suspect, 24-year-old Christian Castro and the child, Christian Castro Jr. They spotted Castro’s vehicle entering a property at 4799 Poplar Springs Road, which is adjacent to his residence.
“As deputies approached the car on foot, Castro fired several gunshots at them, but no one was injured,” Hall County Sheriff’s spokesman Derreck Booth writes in a press release. “Deputies could see Castro’s son sitting on his lap in the car. A perimeter was then established around the area.”
Castro remained in the car for an extended period of time, driving around in a pasture area. A Sheriff’s Office hostage negotiator made numerous attempts to contact Castro by phone without success.
“At approximately 3:30 a.m., deputies heard gunshots coming from Castro’s vehicle. Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team members immediately approached the car and discovered that Castro had shot and killed his son, then turned the gun on himself.
Out of concern for the safety of the child, no shots were fired by law enforcement during the duration of the incident.
says Booth.
Sheriff Couch: Deputies demonstrated “remarkable restraint” in deadly standoff
Both bodies were transported to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Laboratory for autopsy. The incident remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office.
Second fatal domestic violence incident in Hall County in two weeks
“This tragedy, as well as last week’s fatal shooting, serve as a somber reminder of how serious the issue of domestic violence is in our community,” says Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch. “It is a rare day that an Officer in any jurisdiction works an entire shift without responding to a domestic-related call, many of which involve some form of physical violence. This is why the partnerships we share with agencies and organizations that work to combat domestic violence are critical.”
The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by multiple area agencies including the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Flowery Branch Police Department, Georgia State Patrol Aviation Division, Gainesville Police Department, Gwinnett County Police Department, Oakwood Police Department.
Couch encourages victims of domestic violence to seek help.
“We want to emphasize that there is hope for those who find themselves in domestic violence relationships, as we have resources available that can be of assistance to victims to help them safely escape the situation, and hopefully avoid a tragedy similar to what we’ve seen today.”
