Joseph Chavez was a 10-year-old Latino male from Canoga Park, California, whose life ended on the night of June 7, 2026, inside the family's apartment on Owensmouth Avenue near Strathern Street. What should have been a family gathering, described by neighbors and reports as a birthday celebration, became the scene of a devastating murder-suicide that also killed Joseph's twin brother, Greysen Chavez, and their father, 37-year-old Gabriel Chavez.
Los Angeles police were called to the 8000
block of Owensmouth Avenue at about 7:15 p.m. after reports of gunfire. When officers entered the apartment, they found Joseph, Greysen, and their father dead in a bedroom. Authorities said the boys had suffered gunshot wounds, and a handgun was recovered at the scene. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner identified Joseph and listed his manner of death as homicide, with the cause reported as a gunshot wound to the head.
Investigators said Gabriel Chavez is believed to have shot and killed his twin sons before turning the gun on himself. The boys' mother survived the attack. According to reports, she told police she heard two gunshots and went to see what had happened; Gabriel then closed the door and fired at her, but missed. She escaped physically unharmed, while the children were found dead inside the apartment.
The violence appeared to unfold while relatives were nearby for a family celebration, making the shooting even more shocking for those in the apartment complex and surrounding neighborhood. Neighbors described confusion as police arrived and grief as the reality of what had happened became clear. A memorial formed for Joseph and Greysen, and community members remembered the twins as joyful children whose lives were cut short without warning.
No arrest was made because the suspected killer, Gabriel Chavez, died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities have treated the case as a double murder-suicide, and no additional suspects have been publicly identified. As of the latest available reports, investigators had not released a confirmed motive, and there were no court proceedings, charges, trial, or conviction because the alleged perpetrator was deceased.
