On January 20, Ava Wood and her father, Christopher Wood, were discovered dead inside their home in upstate New York. Ava, 14, was found in a separate room with a fatal gunshot to the head.
Christopher, 51, was discovered in another room with a headshot wound, believed to be self-inflicted.
The bodies were discovered following a welfare check requested by Ava’s mother, Heather Wood after Ava failed to leave for school and no response was received at the door.
A criminal investigation has been opened into Ava’s death.
The Wood household was facing turmoil before the incident. Reports indicate that Ava’s parents, Christopher and Heather, were estranged and living apart.
In the days leading up to the tragedy, Christopher sent threatening texts to Heather. According to numerous sources Heather told police that on the night of January 19, 2022, Christopher told her over the phone, “This is how it ends for us.”
The Baldwinsville Central School District
The Baldwinsville Central School District announced on Facebook that after-school activities would be canceled on Friday as they mourned the loss of Durgee Junior High School ninth-grader Ava Wood.
The school arranged counseling services and support for students and families affected by the tragedy.
This is the second recent murder of a young girl in Central New York, following the death of 11-year-old Brexialee Torres-Ortiz, who was shot in a drive-by on January 16.
During a press conference, Baldwinsville Police Chief Michael Lefancheck and Onondaga County Sheriff Tobias Shelley shared their thoughts on the tragedy.
Lefancheck said it was a tough scene to witness and walk through. Shelley added that their office had been made aware of previous incidents involving Ava Wood’s parents in March 2022 and January 18, 2023, both of which involved violence, one being a stalking case and the other being a report of aggravated harassment.
