UPDATE: Dr. Beth Ellen Frost was shot and killed Tuesday by her estranged husband, James “Jed” Edward Frost II, authorities confirmed. Read more.
DALLAS – Although law enforcement officers responded to reports of an active shooter, police eventually discovered two deceased people in a murder-suicide shooting Tuesday inside the building that houses the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to authorities.
Sheriff’s deputies, Dallas police officers, and county marshals responded to the chaotic situation about 4:45 p.m. Calls came in reporting shots fired inside the Dallas County Medical Examiner building located in the 2300 block of North Stemmons Freeway, said Will Fritz with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.
An adult male and adult female were discovered dead inside the building, Fritz said. Their relationship wasn’t immediately clear, yet one of them is believed to be an employee working in the building, NBC DFW reported.
Two buildings at the site — Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office and Dallas County Health and Human Services — were evacuated and cleared by law enforcement personnel before it was rendered safe.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said the names of the deceased individuals will not be released until their respective families are notified, according to NBC DFW.
“It’s heartbreaking. I’m so sorry this happened. We’ll have grief counseling set up for anybody who needs it,” Jenkins said.
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office will be the lead agency on the investigation.
No further details were immediately available.