Arizona father and his two children apparently died in murder-suicide, police say

A father and his two children have died after an apparent murder-suicide, police in Surprise, Arizona, announced Tuesday, May 21.

Brock Mater, 34, and his seven-year-old son and six-year-old daughter were found dead after police conducted a welfare check at his home on Monday, May 20, at the request of Mater’s estranged wife.

According to a surprise police debriefing of the incident, Mater’s estranged wife became concerned after the children’s school called to report her unexcused absence after visiting him over the weekend.

She told officers that she was unable to reach Mater by phone and received no response after knocking on the front door of his apartment “several times.”

After seeing his vehicle at the residence, she called the police, who arrived shortly after 12:30 p.m. and made “several knock attempts, announcements and telephone calls without success.”

The incident debriefing states that when officers entered the apartment, “both children and their father were found dead inside.”

“All three suffered gunshot wounds to the head in a suspected murder-suicide. Officers found a rifle on the father’s lap,” the report continues.

During a news conference, Surprise Police Sergeant Rick Hernandez said neighbors “heard loud noises, possibly fireworks, which caused many neighbors to come outside and investigate.”

“They didn’t see anything suspicious and then returned to their houses but heard noises and we believe the incident occurred at that time, on Sunday evening,” he said.

According to Hernandez, Mater was also receiving psychiatric treatment.

“It is our understanding that he was actively seeking and receiving mental health treatment during their separation,” Hernandez said. “And that treatment went well.”

When asked by a reporter if police had responded to a “crisis situation” involving Mater in the past, Hernandez replied, “We have.”

“This happened in October 2023. And Mr. Mater was transported for treatment at that time,” he said. “And I would like to make one thing very clear now: we have no criminal history on Mr. Mater’s part. All the history we have here relates to welfare checks, which are usually related to mental health issues.”

“Mental health, domestic violence, it doesn’t know zip codes. It knows no socioeconomic status and can happen to anyone, anywhere. “We can always encourage everyone, if you or your loved ones are in crisis or experiencing mental health issues, to seek treatment,” Hernandez later added.

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, texting “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or going to 988lifeline.org .