FRANKLIN COUNTY, VA – Franklin County sheriff’s deputies are investigating an apparent murder-suicide of a husband and wife in Union Hall.
Thursday just before 5 p.m., a female called 9-1-1 from Piney Point Road in Union Hall stating that she had just killed someone and hung up the phone, according to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
A few minutes later, a male called 9-1-1, also from Piney Point Road, and said that his wife shot herself, sheriff’s office spokesperson Megan Patterson said.
While deputies were en route to the scene, another 9-1-1 call came in from a motorist on the same road stating that they had located a male on the edge of the road that appeared to be dead, according to Patterson.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they located a deceased man near the road and 65-year-old Elizabeth Schoppert with life-threatening injuries at her residence a few hundred yards away.
The sheriff’s office said first responders attempted to save Schoppert's life, but she died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The sheriff’s office did not identified the 65-year-old man from Union Hall.
Authorities said they are awaiting additional information from the medical examiner’s office regarding the official cause of death.
This is an ongoing investigation.
If you or someone you know is suffering with a mental health issue or thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255.