WEIRSDALE, Fla. – A man fatally shot himself Saturday after being approached by officers investigating the shooting deaths of his wife and a man she was dating, deputies said.
Deputies said Sunday afternoon that the two people found fatally shot Saturday outside a Marion County dollar store were identified as Jeffery Durden, 44, and Stephanie Gonzalez, 39.
The deaths of Durden and Gonzalez, who deputies said were in a relationship, were both ruled homicides, the Sheriff's Office said.
Marion County detectives said they found Gonzalez's husband, Joseph Gonzalez, in the parking lot of a Burger King near the intersection of Southeast Maricamp Road and Southeast 36th Avenue, nearly 20 miles from the dollar store, while investigating. When authorities approached the 51-year-old man, he shot himself, deputies said. Joseph Gonzalez was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center, where he later died, the Sheriff's Office said.
The investigation began after deputies received a call at 9:38 a.m. about two unresponsive people in a car in the parking lot of the Dollar General Store in the 13800 block of Southeast Highway 42 in Weirsdale.
The Sheriff's Office said deputies found a man and a woman dead Saturday in a maroon SUV parked toward the rear of the business.
"We are working to determine the cause and manner of death at this time," said Lauren Lettelier, of the Sheriff's Office. "We are doing this to the best of our ability and we have a lot of factors, and we definitely want to be sensitive to the family members here as well."
Deputies secured the scene and Marion County Sheriff's Office major crimes detectives responded to conduct a death investigation, the sheriff's office said. MCSO forensic crime scene technicians and the medical examiner's office also responded to collect evidence and assist in the investigation.
The Sheriff's Office said Saturday that both deaths were considered to be suspicious in nature.
Deputies have not said whether they believe Joseph Gonzalez was connected with the death of his wife and her boyfriend.
The investigation is still ongoing, deputies said.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Detective Billy Burleson at 352-368-3542, or to remain anonymous call the Crime Stoppers of Marion County at 352-368-STOP.
Stay with News 6 and ClickOrlando.com for updates on this developing story.