Ohio firefighter kills himself after shooting fiancée; woman's 11-year-old girl calls 911
Authorities in Akron, Ohio, are investigating the murder-suicide of a firefighter who allegedly killed his fiancée in the presence of her two children and later took his own life. According to the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office, the police found the body of the firefighter's dead fiancée when they responded to a 911 call made by the victim's 11-year-old daughter after she heard the two fighting and shots were fired.
According to News 5, authorities responded to the call around 2 am and when they arrived, they found a 35-year-old woman dead in the basement with multiple gunshot wounds. The 11-year-old girl confirmed to the cops that she heard shots being fired after her mother and the firefighter, identified as Demetrius T'Juan Butler, were having an argument. She then found an unresponsive mother in the basement. She and her seven-year-old brother were at the house at the time of the shooting.
The victim's name was Olivia "Liv" Hamey, reported People. She was a social worker at a local hospital and she and her fiancé were supposed to tie the knot next year. "It seemed perfect," said Channon Cox, a co-worker of the woman who was shot. "They were always on vacation. Everything was perfect as far as I knew. He always delivered her flowers, Edible Arrangements to work. I'm just in shock. She was just full of life," said Cox. "She's definitely going to be missed. Especially at work."
Butler initially ran away, the report said but was later found at 2:20 am after his mom also called 911 to say that her son had killed his fiancée. Butler's mom, during the emergency call, handed the phone to him but he refused to put down the gun and said that he would kill himself. When cops arrived at his home, he met them in the driveway with a handgun to his head but as the police got closer to him he put the gun to his chest and shot himself and was rushed to the hospital. He died at 3.05 am.
Butler was a firefighter with the Twinsburg Fire Department and the Norton Fire Department. He had even been awarded the Paramedic of the Year in 2016 when he worked as a paramedic and firefighter at the Canton Fire Department. In a statement, the Twinsburg Fire Department said, "He was a valued member of our team with years of experience brought from other area departments he has worked with and has helped advance our department through Fire and EMS instruction. Demetrius has touched many lives throughout several communities in which he has served. The Fire Department is providing support and counseling for our staff during this troubling time. This incident is a tragedy for multiple families and we ask that respect is given to all survivors as they grieve."