Port St. Lucie police are still trying to ferret out the motive behind a murder-suicide case that claimed the lives of two men last week and are continuing to reach out to those who knew the individuals involved to glean as much information and insight as they can.
The incident occurred last Wednesday in the area of SW Savona Boulevard and SW Fletcher Lane, not far from the Tradition exit on Gatlin Boulevard.
According to police, 36-year-old Heather Shaffer was riding in her co-worker’s truck on SW Gatlin Boulevard when she noticed her estranged husband was following them.
Josh Barran, 29, who was driving the truck, pulled off Gatlin onto SW Savona Boulevard and then onto SW Fletcher Lane. Shaffer’s husband, 55-year-old Donald Shaffer, continued to follow them until Barran stopped his truck in a driveway.
Shaffer got out of his car and approached Barran’s side. That’s when Shaffer shot Barran in the head with a .357 Magnum. The truck lurched forward and struck a nearby home before finally stopping, police said.
Shaffer approached his wife’s side of the truck and turned the gun on himself, committing suicide.
Heather Shaffer was uninjured in the shootings and crash.
She told investigators that she and Barran were co-workers and did not make reference to a relationship beyond that.
