Child survived fatal double shooting and car crash north of Prosser

The deaths of two people shot at a rural Benton County intersection on Saturday are under investigation as a possible murder suicide.

The man and woman have yet to be named because officials are having trouble locating all their relatives, Benton County sheriff’s officials said on Monday.

Investigators have called it a tragic domestic violence incident but have not released the connection between the victims.

They confirmed on Monday that a young child was in the car when it reportedly crashed near the intersection of North Rothrock Road and West Evans Road north of Prosser at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

A caller to 911 reported hearing an argument or yelling and then gunfire at the crash site.

Deputies and emergency responders arrived to find one person was dead and another seriously wounded. They called for a Life Flight medical helicopter and attempted CPR on the second person, but could not save them, according to dispatch reports.

The child is believed to be uninjured.

The sheriff’s department’s Major Crimes Unit is investigating.

Coroner officials said autopsies are scheduled for Wednesday.

This story was originally published November 17, 2025 at 10:17 AM.