In a tragic series of events that unfolded in Chesapeake, Virginia, 74-year-old Doris Dooley became one of several victims in a domestic-related murder-suicide. On Wednesday, January 27, 2016, a welfare check requested by a concerned individual led police to a grim discovery at a home on Wildwood Road, initiating a chain of events that would reveal the full scope of the tragedy.
Responding officers first found the body of one of Doris's grandsons, Landon Dooley. This discovery then led them to a second home a few blocks away, located at the intersection of Wintergreen Drive and North George Washington Highway. It was at this residence that they found Doris Dooley, along with her son, Todd Dooley, his wife Lori Dooley, and their daughter, Brooke Dooley. All had been fatally shot.
The perpetrator was identified as Doris's grandson, Cameron Dooley, who police believe was the shooter responsible for the deaths of his family members. After a lengthy standoff with law enforcement at his grandmother's home, officers entered the residence to find that Cameron had taken his own life. Investigators believe that Cameron had killed all of his family members before the police arrived at the initial scene.
The Dooley family was well-known and active in their community and their church, Temple Baptist Church, where Doris's late husband of 50 years, Reverend Allen L. Dooley, had been a pastor. Todd Dooley, Doris's son, was a retired Chesapeake Police Officer. Neighbors and friends described Cameron as a 'nice kid,' leaving the community in shock and searching for a motive behind the devastating act. The last time anyone had reportedly heard from the family was on the Monday evening preceding the discovery.
