MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. – A man shot and killed his wife at their Merritt Island home after returning from a July Fourth party, police said.
Roger and Stacy Petrocelli arrived home early Wednesday to the Catalina Club Apartments, south of Merritt Island High School when Roger was handling a firearm that discharged, hitting Stacy, who was sitting nearby, authorities told News 6 partner Florida Today.
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Roger Petrocelli drove his wife to Cape Canaveral Hospital, where she later died, deputies said.
The couple's children, ages 11 and 14, were home, but it's not known if they witnessed the shooting, sheriff's officials said.
Another tenant at the apartments called 911 and told dispatchers about a disturbance in the building, which is two stories and includes eight units. Deputies found the door to the couple's apartment open and blood inside, officials said.
The 911 call has not been released.
Staff at Cape Canaveral Hospital also contacted the Brevard County Sheriff's Office when Roger Petrocelli arrived there with his wounded wife, Florida Today reported.
The state medical examiner's office will conduct an autopsy, and the case remains under investigation.