Thanksgiving shooting in rural Idaho was murder-suicide, says sheriff’s office
A Thanksgiving Day shooting in rural Idaho has been deemed a murder-suicide, according to the Gem County Sheriff’s Office.
Law enforcement said John Polk, 79, shot his wife, Gloria, 82, and then shot himself at their home on Nov. 28 in the 5800 block of El Paso Road, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
Gloria Polk died at the scene, and John Polk was transported to the hospital where he later died.
When the Idaho Statesman reported on the shooting earlier this week, the details about the shooting had not been disclosed.
John Polk has no apparent criminal history in Idaho, according to online court records.
Domestic violence remains an ongoing, sometimes fatal problem in Idaho.
The Polks’ deaths are not the case of first domestic murder case seen in this year.
In March, police arrested Eric Steiner, 42, at his Meridian home after he allegedly shot and his killed his wife, Christine Steiner, 41, at their home. Steiner awaits trial while in custody at the Ada County Jail.
In January, Joe and Heidi De Leon, a married couple in Meridian, were fatally shot by Heidi’s ex-husband, Edward Epps, 39. Previous reporting by the Idaho Statesman showed that Heidi had been trying to get a protection order from Epps, who had previously threatened violence. Epps fatally shot himself after killing the De Leons.
Need help?
Anyone in need of help or believes they may be in a violent relationship is encouraged to contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
The Women’s and Children’s Alliance in Boise is available at 208-343-7025 for victims of domestic violence or online at wcaboise.org.
This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 11:18 AM.
