A makeshift memorial is shown Tuesday, July 11, 2017, in front of 10337 Numaga Road, where a day earlier the bodies of a man, woman and baby who died in an apparent murder-suicide were discovered.
Published Wednesday, July 12, 2017 | 12:30 a.m.
Updated Wednesday, July 12, 2017 | 10:49 a.m.
Residents of a southwest valley neighborhood stood silently Tuesday night, embraced each other and stared with glassy eyes in front of the corner house where sidewalks were adorned with bouquets of flowers, candles and stuffed animals.
Several dozen neighbors made their way to 10337 Numaga Road, where people conducting a welfare check about 24 hours prior made the gruesome discovery of the bodies of a father, a baby son and a mother, who lost their lives in an apparent murder-suicide.
The man shot his 11-month-old, the child’s mother and the family dog before he turned the firearm on himself, according to Metro Police.
The Clark County coroner's office said John Dylan Lunetta was 11 months old when he was found dead Monday. The man is identified as 40-year-old John Henry Lunetta and the woman as 34-year-old Karen Michelle Jackson.
A slight breeze drifted through the neighborhood as attendees commemorated the family in a vigil, in which they prayed, spoke about community and meeting those who live nearby, while discussing what to do if a neighbor appears to need help.
The case that brought the neighbors to the house — and as Jason Lindstrom, 43, said, changed the community’s dynamic — unfolded Monday night.
Screaming was followed by a call to 911 after unidentified people showed up at the house for a welfare check and encountered the scene, police said.
Officers and then detectives responded to the house, near Cactus Avenue and Rainbow Boulevard, about 7:40 p.m. Investigators believe that gunfire erupted at least 24 hours prior, police said. A teenage daughter of the woman was not home at the time of the shooting.
Clark County property records and a law enforcement source confirmed reports that the gunman was John Henry Lunetta, a doctor, who according to his LinkedIn account was the regional director of the American Red Cross.
Police did not say much about the family or Lunetta, who did not appear to have a criminal record and was a lawful gun owner.
Neighbors gather for a vigil Tuesday, July 11, 2017, in front of a home in Mountain's Edge, where a day earlier the bodies of a man, woman and baby who died in an apparent murder-suicide were discovered.
Metro had previously responded to a call about some sort of argument at the house, which didn’t escalate to domestic violence.
Photos on a Facebook account associated with Lunetta show him with a baby. His profile image captured the baby being joyfully tossed in the air.
Another photo posted in April shows the blue-eyed child on a swing wearing a onesie with a cartoon logo of a blue whale. Inscribed on the clothing was “9 months,” seemingly the baby’s age at the time. He is laughing.
Lindstrom, who described the family as "the nicest people," also said the baby was "adorable" and "as cute as can be."
He and his family were used to walking by the lively residence. “I don’t know what it’s going to be in the future. It’s not going to be the same (to) look at the house, even months, years from now.”
The man and woman moved to the neighborhood sometime after Lindstrom, but they quickly engaged their neighbors. They shook hands and introduced themselves as "John and Karen" and wanted to know the names of Lindstrom's family members. The woman's daughter was friends with Lindstrom's daughters.
One of Lindstrom's daughters cried and hugged her dad as he spoke to reporters.
After interacting for a little over an hour, those remaining gathered near a makeshift memorial, bowed their heads and prayed.
They spoke about possible block parties, funding a bench with the family's names and simply greeting one another.
Lindstrom said he learned a lesson.
"It's amazing," he said about how his daughters easily befriend others. "Now I am in my 40s, and I don't go out to make friends anymore. Shame on me. Shame on me as a person for being that kind of guy ... I'm going to change."
The Clark County Coroner’s Office on Tuesday hadn’t identified the three bodies.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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