An arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday for a former cop after his ex-wife was gunned down outside an elementary school and his teenage girlfriend shot dead.
Elias Huizar, 39, is believed to have abducted his baby son and is on the run towards Mexico, police said.
Officials confirmed at a press conference on Tuesday that Amber Rodriguez, 31, was killed at Wiley Elementary School in West Richland, Washington on Monday as children were let out for the day.
“He was behind a portable area and knew that she would be out there, apparently, and then shot her there,” Richland School District superintendent Dr Shelley Redinger said. “It was definitely targeted.”
Police later found a second victim, the suspect’s girlfriend, dead at his nearby home. Officials said they were not identifying her at this time.
Eric Eisinger, the Benton County Prosecuting Attorney, issued a nationwide arrest warrant for Mr Huizar for first-degree, premeditated murder.
Washington State Patrol had said Mr Huizar was suspected of murdering his “ex-wife and girlfriend” in the Amber Alert but did not name them.
The elementary school’s website lists Ms Rodriguez as a paraeducator, with the district posting a statement on Facebook saying that it was “deeply saddened” by events.
Ms Rodriguez had filed for a change in custody of her two sons, aged five and nine, with Mr Huizar, only days before the shooting, according to the Tri-City Herald.
Mr Huizar fled the area in a silver 2009 Toyota Corolla with Washington plates CBZ4745. He is described as 5ft 6in tall, with brown hair and brown eyes, according to the Amber Alert.
He was later reported to have been spotted driving a black sedan in Portland, Oregon. The investigation is ongoing.
Mr Huizar had been due to be in court on Monday to face child rape allegations in relation to a teenage girl who was sleeping at his home, KNDU reported. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges in February.
The former police officer was reportedly caught with the teenage girl by his 17-year-old girlfriend, who reported him to police, KNDU said.
Mr Huizar was an officer with the Yakima Police Department, around 70 miles from West Richland, between June 2013 and February 2022.
Richland Schools sent a message out to parents, confirming that there had been a shooting. Classes were cancelled on Tuesday.
In a statement on Tuesday, the school district said that Mr Huizar had been a substitute teacher between February 2022 and June 2023. Following his arrest earlier this year, the suspect was removed from the district’s subs list.
“There are no words to express how deeply saddened we are by the targeted, domestic violence incidents that took place yesterday at William Wiley Elementary and in the surrounding neighborhood that resulted in the death of one of our staff members and another individual. This is a tragedy no community should have to experience,” the statement read.
