In a quiet home in Baldwinsville, New York, the life of 14-year-old Ava Wood, a female, was tragically cut short on the morning of January 20, 2023. Concern grew when Ava, a ninth-grade student at Durgee Junior High School, did not arrive for school. Her mother, Heather Wood, went to the home where Ava lived with her father and found that no one would answer the door, prompting a call to the police for a wellness check.
Upon entering the residence, officers made a devastating discovery. Ava and her 51-year-old father, Christopher Wood, were both found deceased in separate bedrooms. Investigators determined that both had died from gunshot wounds. Evidence at the scene strongly indicated that the incident was a murder-suicide, with Christopher Wood's wound appearing to be self-inflicted.
A shotgun recovered at the home was legally purchased by him just 16 days before the fatal event.
The investigation that followed revealed a troubled history between Ava's parents, who were married but estranged. In the months leading up to the tragedy, there had been two reported domestic incidents. One was a stalking complaint filed by Heather Wood against her husband in March 2022. The second occurred just two days before the deaths and involved harassing text messages sent by Christopher to Heather. The night before the discovery of their bodies, Christopher had made a chilling statement to his estranged wife over the phone, saying, 'This is how it ends for us.'
The community was left reeling from the loss of a bright and active young woman. Ava was remembered as an excellent student and an athlete who participated in soccer as well as track and field. In the wake of her death, the Baldwinsville school district provided crisis counseling for students and staff, grappling with the sudden and violent loss of a member of their close-knit community.
