A Pennsylvania man turned the gun on himself after killing his wife in the basement of their Greenwood home Tuesday evening.
Blase Raia, 39, shot his 34-year-old wife Brooke Raia in the head during an argument at around 7 p.m.
Logan Township Police Chief Dave Hoover said the couple’s four younger children were inside the residence at the time of the tragedy.
The fifth child arrived home from work half an hour later following the incident.
The murder-suicide shocked the community five days ahead of Christmas. The perpetrator was remembered as a hard-working machinist at the Juniata Locomotive Shop.
“He was a nice guy, a good worker. He seemed well-liked by his fellow workers,” retired employee Jim Patterson said.
The couple was strongly involved in racing since Brooke Raia’s father was a popular motorcycle racer and announcer at a regional speedway.
The racing community raised more than $56,000 for the couple’s orphaned kids.
“While I’m sure Christmas is the last thing on their minds, they deserve our support, they need to know that both the racing community & their family stand behind them,” said fundraiser Donny Algieri.
