Did Evans Woman Shot in the Head Survive Murder-Suicide That Left Two Dead?

As we've discussed in tragic stories such as Chris Bankert's killing of high-school sweetheart Kacey Heberlein and himself late last month, police reassurances that the public isn't at risk following the discovery of two or more violent deaths almost always translates to a murder-suicide scenario. However, there's a strange twist in a case that began unfolding in Evans yesterday afternoon: While a father and a daughter are dead, a woman survived a gunshot wound to the head -- and was even able to open the door for authorities. Continue for the details available to date about this sad story.

See also: Update: Kacey Heberlein Killed by High School Sweetheart Chris Bankert in Murder-Suicide

At about 1:30 p.m. yesterday, according to the Greeley Tribune, members of the Evans Police Department were dispatched to an address on the 2400 block of Marina Street.

As captured in the following interactive graphic (if you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map"), the area represents a typical suburban neighborhood:

View Larger Map

However, what happened inside the home was far beyond the norm.

The cops were summoned after the male resident's employer was concerned enough about his absence from work to dial 911 -- and when they knocked at the entrance for what was initially termed a welfare check, 9News reports that the woman who answered the door had been shot in the head.

Not that the officers immediately realized the source of her injuries. Evans Police Chief Rick Brandt tells the Tribune that "when she came to the door, it looked like she had been beaten severely, but we didn't realize until later she had been shot."

Brandt added that "when we realized we were still missing the dad and the daughter, we asked SWAT to assist with clearing the house because of the potential of there being a firearm."

Adding to the concern: The father is said to have been suffering from what are alternately described as personal issues and depression.

A short time later, 7News reveals that Evans cops, supplemented by deputies from the Weld County Sheriff's Office, entered the home and discovered the bodies of a man and a teenage girl in an upstairs bedroom.

They were both dead of apparent gunshot wounds.

The injured woman was choppered to a hospital in Denver. Thus far, there's been no update about her condition. In the meantime, authorities have yet to release the names of the dead. Yet their statement that they "do not believe the public is in any danger" implies that the person who triggered so much heartbreak is among the dead.

Here's a 7News piece from the scene.

Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.