Police confirm murder-suicide

Palm Springs police said Friday they believe the man who was found dead near a highway overpass on Sunday (he had shot himself) had shot two people in a nearby car shortly before.

Previously, police had only stated that the two crime scenes appeared to be “connected,” but not in what connection.

Five days after the three were found dead, authorities had still not released their identities. Police said the names would come from the Riverside County coroner, who did not respond to a request for comment from the Desert Sun on Friday.

On Sunday, officers responded to a 911 call about a gunshot victim near North Indian Canyon Drive and Garnet Avenue around 1:15 p.m. When they arrived, police found two dead men in a white Toyota sedan and a third man who appeared to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds south of Interstate 10, near the Indian Canyon Drive overpass.

On Friday, PSPD Captain Mike Kovaleff confirmed that two victims were shot in the car before the attacker fled the scene and shot himself on the side of the highway.

According to Kovaleff, no suspects are known anymore.