2 found fatally shot in Walnut home after apparent murder-suicide, authorities say

WALNUT, Calif. (KABC) -- Two bodies were discovered in a Walnut home after an apparent murder-suicide on Thursday, according to authorities.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said a man and a woman, in their 40s or 50s, were found with gunshot wounds in a home near N. Avenida Alipaz and N. La Tortola Drive.

Authorities initially said an hourslong standoff ensued after reports of a domestic dispute at the home, and that a barricaded man was possibly armed with an AK-47. Officials later stated the shootings were believed to have occurred before deputies and a SWAT team arrived at the scene.

The SWAT team entered the residence at about 4:30 p.m. and found the deceased man and woman in a room on the first floor.

There "does not appear to (have been) a struggle," said sheriff's Sgt. Bill Cotter. "At this point and time, very early on, it appears to be a murder-suicide."

It was unclear what led up to the shootings, or how the deceased were possibly related. They were were not immediately identified.

"I'm shocked," said Valerie Guitron, who has lived in the neighborhood for 13 years. "I mean, that just doesn't happen here."

She said she did not know the man and woman but was heartbroken for their relatives.

"I've never seen this," she added. "Our neighborhood is very, very quiet, so when I saw this I knew that something serious must have happened. It's just sad with everything that's going on in the world."