FOWLER, Calif. – The Fowler community is reeling after a tragic discovery Wednesday evening that left a mother and son dead in what police are investigating as a murder-suicide.
Authorities have identified the deceased as 78-year-old Cheryl Hanoian and her son, 60-year-old James McFarland. According to Fowler Police Chief Greg Gularte, officers were dispatched to a residence near Citrus and South avenues around 6:30 p.m. after receiving a distress call reporting an assault with a deadly weapon.
Police say the call came from a woman who told dispatchers that a family member had confessed to shooting his mother, threatening to harm the family’s pets, and then take his own life. When officers entered the home, they found both Hanoian and McFarland deceased, along with several dead animals.
Chief Gularte confirmed that investigators believe McFarland fatally shot his mother before turning the gun on himself. He emphasized that this was an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office has taken over the investigation. Authorities are working to determine the circumstances leading up to the tragedy that has left the quiet Fowler neighborhood shaken and mourning.