On a summer morning in Somerset, Massachusetts, the life of 30-year-old Amber Pereira was tragically cut short in what authorities would later describe as an apparent murder-suicide. On June 27, 2020, Amber, a female, was found deceased in her Thelma Avenue home alongside her estranged husband, 31-year-old Joshua Pereira. Both had sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
The couple had recently separated, with Joshua having moved out of their shared home.
In the time leading up to the fatal incident, neighbors reported hearing multiple gunshots emanating from the residence shortly after Joshua arrived at the house before 8 a.m. that Saturday. A concerned relative discovered the couple and placed a 911 call at approximately 8:05 a.m.
Upon their arrival, Somerset Police found both Amber and Joshua Pereira deceased. A firearm was discovered underneath Joshua's body, leading investigators to believe he had shot his wife before taking his own life. The Bristol County District Attorney's Office, along with the Massachusetts State Police and local authorities, conducted the investigation. The official cause and manner of death were to be determined by the state medical examiner's office through autopsies.
The investigation concluded that no other individuals were believed to have been involved in the incident. Friends and family remembered Amber, a Fall River native who worked as a Correctional Program Officer for the Massachusetts Department of Correction, as a person with an infectious smile who loved her job and spending time with her loved ones.
