A man is fighting for his life in the hospital after surviving a murder-suicide in Fort Lauderdale last week. NBC6’s Lena Salzbank reports
The family of a man left fighting for his life after a murder-suicide shooting in Fort Lauderdale is trying to understand how this could’ve happened to a “well-loved” person who was supposed to start college this year.
Ryan Kruse survived the shooting at the home in the 4500 block of Twin Lakes Boulevard on April 4, after police said 28-year-old Carlos Reyes arrived and shot him, 24-year-old Michelle Rodriguez, and then himself at the scene.
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WATCH HEREAuthorities haven't released any information on the connection between Reyes, Rodriguez or Kruse, who remains hospitalized.
After spending decades in the community, Kruse’s father said he never could have imagined the police would be at his front doorstep.
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“I got a call from one of the neighbors saying there was cops and stuff like that here, there was shooting and stuff… they said it was at my house. So I went ahead and I called my son. I tried calling him, I tried leaving him a couple texts, and no answers,” Tom Kruse said.
He said Rodriguez was at the home with their son when the shots were fired.
“It’s been a merry-go-round for me and my wife and my other family members too,” Tom Kruse said. “He was well-loved.”
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NBC6 has been made aware of video from a nearby camera that shows the moments the 24-year-old woman tried to escape the home, crawling out the front door, before Reyes pointed the gun and shot her again.
When detectives arrived, they found the woman was already dead and the shooter had turned the gun on himself. He died a day later at the hospital.
While detectives piece together the motive behind the murder-suicide, Tom Kruse and his family says they’re focusing on their son Ryan.
“We’re just trying to deal with this and get through it…he was supposed to start college this year,” Tom Kruse said.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
