Bartlesville, Oklahoma — A quiet morning in the 1600 block of West 2nd Street turned tragic last Saturday when police found the bodies of 37-year-olds Mary Groomes and Justin McIntyre in what authorities now call a murder-suicide. Neighbors say the street rarely sees anything more than lawn mowers and morning joggers, but this week it became the scene of a heartbreaking loss.
Officers were called around dawn after someone reported a man was holding his girlfriend inside their home and wouldn’t let her leave. When patrol units pulled up, they made brief contact with a man at the front door. Within moments he retreated into the house and locked up, according to officials. Concern grew when officers were told he might be armed.
After waiting and trying to talk through the door, police say they heard gunshots from inside. Crisis negotiators, a special operations team, and mental health professionals were brought in to try to calm the situation. For hours there was silence and no answers, until authorities made the difficult choice to enter.
Inside the home they found Groomes and McIntyre, both dead with apparent gunshot wounds. Investigators say the violence was contained to the house and posed no threat to the public. Friends and family on social media described Groomes as warm-hearted and generous, and McIntyre as someone who cared deeply for those close to him, making the scene all the more incomprehensible to those who knew them.
Police continue to piece together what led to the deadly standoff, urging anyone with information to come forward. As the community absorbs the news, neighbors speak of shock and disbelief at a tragedy that unfolded out of sight on an ordinary street.
In the coming days, Bartlesville will remember two people whose lives ended far too soon. Services and tributes are expected this week as relatives and friends gather to honor their memories and try to make sense of a senseless act.
