Smith Rivera Orange County, Orlando, Florida man arrested after shooting dead his wife and 21 year old son after becoming depressed from coronavirus.
A Florida man is in custody for fatally shooting his wife and 21-year-old son along with attempting to shoot another son. The shootings are thought to have resulted from the man being depressed as a result of the ongoing coronavirus, relatives believe.
Smith Rivera, 59, of Orange County, Orlando, is facing two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder after confessing to the early Sunday morning shootings, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Deputies arrived shortly after 1 a.m. to the Whisper Lakes Estates subdivision and found the bodies of Jodie Rivera, 56, and son Matthew Rivera, 21, with gunshot wounds inside a home in the 11600 block of Darlington Drive.
Both Jodie and Matthew were pronounced dead at the scene,
An arrest affidavit said Smith Rivera drove to the scene as investigators searched the house, got out of his car and told a deputy, ‘I shot my wife.’
Several spent shell casings were found
Rivera also allegedly admitted to investigators having gunned down his 21-year-old son, Matthew, WESH reported. The father of three had been depressed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, his sister told via WESH.
Rivera allegedly fired shots at a second son as well, but he managed to escape the family’s home unharmed.
Smith also confessed that he shot his wife to another man who lived at the home but isn’t related to the family, the affidavit states.
The unidentified man said Smith then fired several shots at him before chasing him out of the house. The dad fled in his car but deputies later arrested him when he drove back to the family home according to affidavit.
Several spent shell casings were found inside the home and in a driveway, while a box of ammunition was recovered from inside a bathroom where Smith was spotted with his firearm, WKMG reported.
Smith remained held without bond Monday at Orange County Jail, records show.
