An online stalker whom authorities were trying to serve with a protective order fatally shot a woman and her husband in their Redmond, Washington, home, according to police.
The Redmond Police Department reports that Ramin Khodakaramrezaei, 38, also shot himself dead early on Friday morning at the couple’s residence after breaking in via a bedroom window. When the shootings were taking place, the woman’s mother was inside the residence unharmed.Prior to the killings, the woman had requested a protection order against the suspect; however, it had not been served because Khodakaramrezaei, a Texas native and truck driver, could not be found, Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe revealed during a news conference on Friday.
This is the worst possible outcome for a stalking case, according to Lowe.
According to the police complaints she filed, Khodakaramrezaei constantly contacted the stalking victim and her spouse after they met online via a chat app. Their names have not been revealed.
According to a statement from the police, Khodakaramrezaei apparently used the app to listen to the woman’s podcasts and then started corresponding with her. The woman and the suspect became friends, but when things got out of hand, she filed a no-contact order against him, according to the police.
She listed more than 100 contacts in a single day in one of the records, according to Lowe. There have been cases where the person has arrived at the house with gifts.
The woman and her husband were found dead from gunshot wounds when police arrived at the location on Friday, according to authorities. Khodakaramrezaei was also discovered dead inside the house.
Even though a protective order was granted in this case, Lowe emphasized that victims of stalking should remain vigilant and work closely with local law enforcement to report any violations in order to help prevent harm. She also noted that such orders shouldn’t be viewed as an automatic defense against suspects.
I don’t want to give people a false sense of security just because they have a protection order or a restraining order, Lowe said. “A restraining order is just a piece of paper that authorizes police to conduct enforcement measures if a suspect disobeys the court order, but a piece of paper does not protect a person when someone is actively attempting to harm them.”