NBC 5 has learned a murder-suicide inside the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office– involved a husband and wife who had been separated. The tragedy sparked new questions about security inside that county-run office. NBC 5’s Sophia Beausoleil has the story.
What to Know
- A man and a woman were killed Tuesday in a murder-suicide inside the Dallas County Medical Examiner building.
- Dallas County Sheriff's Department has identified the victims as 46-year-old Beth Frost and 51-year-old James Frost, an estranged married couple.
- No further injuries were reported; grief counselors are being provided.
Wednesday afternoon the Dallas County Sheriff's Office identified the two murder-suicide victims from a Tuesday shooting at Dallas County Medical Examiner's Building as 46-year-old Beth Frost and 51-year-old James Frost.
Dallas police, sheriff's deputies and county marshals were called at 4:45 p.m. to reports of shots fired inside the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office located inside the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences building on the 2300 block of North Stemmons Freeway, Will Fritz with the Dallas County Sheriff's Office said.
The estranged married couple was found dead inside the building on the second floor with apparent gunshot wounds, according to the sheriff's office on Wednesday.
Beth Frost, D.O., was a medical examiner for the county.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price said the couple was going through a divorce. He said they believe the husband entered through an employee entrance, but Price said investigators are looking at surveillance video as part of the investigation. The sheriff's office did not confirm those details.
U.S. & World
“That is a secure building, but again nothing can probably prevent someone who is bent from causing certain kind of havoc," said Price.
In regards to safety of the building, Price said he believes it is secure, but the county will review current procedures.
“The public doesn’t have that kind of access to that building, so there’s nothing for the public to be concerned about, but we are taking all precautions, even with the staff as small as it is to try and see if we can create a perimeter that is even more secure.”
Price said as a county official, he has access across the county, but even he does not have access to the medical examiner's office.
On Wednesday the office was open, but Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said only a small crew was working, as many people didn't come to work.
"It’s a sad day, it’s a shock when this happens," said Jenkins on Wednesday. "Our prayers go out to the victims and their families."
Jenkins said the county is providing grief counselors from employees.
"We want to make sure that we deal with the emotions and trauma of this, in a good way, we’re not rushing people back into work. I’m asking that every person who heard the shots or involved, especially those on the 2nd floor to go to at least one grief counselor, tele-medicine or in person. Those are free. We feel like we don't need those things when we're in this line of work, but we do."
On Tuesday during the situation, Jenkins told reporters outside the building that there appeared to no longer be a threat to the public. Law enforcement searched both the medical examiner building and the neighboring Dallas County Health and Human Services building which is the protocol under active shooter incidents.
Both buildings had been evacuated. Texas Sky Ranger video showed people running from the front of the building to the parking lot outside.
“I’m just looking around and seeing all of the officers, the helicopters and, oh my God, the guns. It’s just scary because you know, a bullet doesn’t have a name on it," said employee Felicia Bendall.
"It's heartbreaking. I'm so sorry this happened. We'll have grief counseling set up for anybody who needs it," Jenkins said intially on Tuesday.
The Dallas County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation since a county facility falls under their jurisdiction.
