A mother reportedly fired at her husband and another woman before going home and slaying her two young children.
The disturbing case unfolded in the early hours of Monday (May 25) in two cities in the state of Arizona.
Andrea Clarice Davis, aged 38, was married to her husband, Nolan, for 12 years. The couple had no reported history of domestic violence.
Highlights
- Andrea Clarice Davis, a mother from Arizona, is suspected of firing at her husband and another woman before slaying her two children.
- The incident occurred after midnight on Monday outside a Glendale bar and at the woman’s home in Phoenix.
- Her best friend said Andrea believed that her husband of 12 years was having an affair.
A suspected love triangle and a mother’s emotional breakdown ended in a tragedy that devastated an Arizona family
Image credits: AZFamily
Trigger warning: This article contains details of violence involving children that some readers may find distressing.
Following the tragedy, one of Andrea’s friends revealed that she had been “asking for help from everybody” and was “losing her mind.”
The violent chain of events began when Andrea reportedly drove to Tailgaters Sports Bar & Grill in Glendale and fired at Nolan and a 36-year-old woman who was with him.
Jose Santiago, a Glendale police spokesperson, said the other woman, whose identity has not been released, was struck in the back of the head as she attempted to flee in her car.
Image credits: AZFamily
Both Nolan and the 36-year-old woman survived.
Andrea then allegedly fled home and texted her husband saying she was going to hurt their two young children, a boy named Austin and a daughter named Andolan.
She also sent her husband a picture showing one of their children bleeding from the head after an attack.
Nolan Davis rushed home after receiving a horrifying message from his wife of 12 years, Andrea
Image credits: AZFamily
Nolan immediately reported the disturbing message and photo to the police, who rushed to the couple’s Phoenix home, located two miles (three km) away from the bar.
By the time police arrived, it was too late. Officers forced entry and found the bodies of 10-year-old Austin and 18-month-old Andolan.
Andrea’s body was also found inside the home. The mother is believed to have taken both of her children’s lives before turning the weapon on herself.
Image credits: AZFamily
“Because we already knew this was a dire situation, officers forced their way into the home, and that’s when they encountered this horrific situation,” Santiago described.
The 36-year-old woman was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to survive, authorities said.
The mother fired at a woman who was with her husband at a bar before taking both of her children’s lives
Image credits: Facebook
“Right now, we can tell you they knew each other, but we do not know the extent of how they knew each other,” he stated.
“We do know that they were familiar with one another, and there was some type of relationship. How familiar and what type of relationship, that’s unknown at this time.”
Image credits: Felicia Queen
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Andrea’s best friend, Amy Bowers, said Andrea was convinced that her husband was cheating on her with a co-worker.
“This relationship … completely made her lose her mind,” Bowers told AZFamily.
“They haven’t had anything like this come up before. And so I think the shock of that is just a lot for her. She was just, she was not feeling good. And she’s been asking for help from everybody. Like it’s not been secret.”
Image credits: AZFamily
Bowers suggested that Andrea believed her husband would soon end their relationship and that she might have felt overwhelmed by the prospect of caring for her two children alone.
“I feel really bad nobody was thinking about the kids this whole time, you know, Andrea was stressed because Nolan was talking about leaving, and she was like, ‘What am I supposed to do with the kids?’” Bowers said.
According to Andrea’s friend, her 12-year marriage to Nolan had been stable until a year ago, when she began distrusting his relationship with a co-worker.
Image credits: AZFamily
“I just feel really bad for the babies. I mean, they were really great kids. Really great kids. Andolan is so sweet and she has one of the most beautiful eyes,” Bowers said.
“And Austin, he loves coming and hanging out at my house and playing Mario Party. I painted his whole bedroom. It’s all Mario-themed.
“When I think about what the kids were going through last night, it absolutely breaks my heart.”
A family member described Andrea as a “really good mom” to her two children
Image credits: Felicia Queen
Nolan’s cousin, Felicia Queen, described Andrea as a “really good mom” and asked people not to judge her after the crime against her children.
“They were little, you know. They didn’t deserve it. They still had a whole life ahead of them. And it’s not fair. I can’t even imagine what my cousin’s going through right now.
“He is a very good dad. And she was a good mom, so please don’t just whatever happens, don’t portray her to be some…she did what she did, but she wasn’t a horrible person. She wasn’t.”
The bar incident is being investigated by Glendale police, and the double homicide by Phoenix police.
The couple did not have a history of “behavioral incidents,” police said
Image credits: AZFamily
Phoenix Police Sgt. Lorraine Fernandez said they did not find any “behavioral health incidents” involving the couple.
Sgt. Fernandez described the crime as “traumatizing” and sent her condolences to the grieving father.
“This is horrific for everyone. This father is going to have to live with the fact that his children are now gone. He knows that this was at the hands of his wife.
“Children are most innocent. They’re what we show up for work to protect every day. It is a very difficult scene for everyone at this time. So, I can imagine the family, including the suspect’s family in this instance, are crushed and dealing with a huge tragedy today.”
“If you see something, please say something,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Lorraine Fernandez said
Image credits: The Republic/Rey Covarrubias Jr.
Sgt. Fernandez urged people to speak up and contact authorities if they experience or witness domestic violence.
“Please, I beg of you, if you see something, please say something. We are here to help. We want to help. Please allow us to,” she said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the No More Global Directory provides international resources.
People sent their condolences to Nolan and his family following the tragedy
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