Police have shared that a woman and her husband were fatally shot in their Seattle-area home on Friday by someone who was allegedly stalking them online and in person after becoming a fan of the woman’s podcast.
The Redmond Police Department shared that Ramin Khodakaramrezaei, 38, broke into the couple’s home through a bedroom window on Friday morning, shooting the couple before turning the gun on himself.
At the time of the shooting, the woman’s mother was inside the home, but she was unharmed. Police have not identified the couple at this time.
Officers have shared that they were attempting to serve Khodakaramrezaei with an order for protection because he was allegedly stalking the woman.
Before breaking into their home, Khodakaramrezaei, who is from Texas, had been stalking the victim and her husband after they connected through an online chat app, a police report obtained by CNN shared.
Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe shared at a press conference that Khodakaramrezaei had been constantly contacting them, and while officers were attempting to serve him the protection order, they could not locate him.
“This is the absolute worst outcome for a stalking case,” Lowe said.
The woman reportedly hosted a podcast that Khodakaramrezaei listened to before he began reaching out and communicating with her, police shared.
While at first, the woman became friends with Khodakaramrezaei, she filed a no-contact order against him after things began to escalate, police noted.
“In one of the reports, she reported over 100 contacts in a single day,” Lowe said. “There were instances where the individual did show up at the (home) previously bearing gifts.”
On Friday morning, officers were called to the woman’s house, where they found her, her husband, and Khodakaramrezaei dead from gunshot wounds
Even though a restraining order had been obtained, Lowe says it is essential to remain vigilant when you are the victim of stalking and be sure to work with local authorities for your protection.
“I do not want to create a false sense of security just because a restraining order or a protective order is obtained,” Lowe said. “A restraining order is simply a piece of paper that allows officers to take enforcement actions should a suspect violate the court order, but a piece of paper does not protect a person when someone is intent on causing them harm.”
Related
Related
