Somerset neighbors stunned by news of murder-suicide

SOMERSET – The never saw it coming.

That was the reaction of neighbors on the quiet, suburban block where police say a murder-suicide took place Saturday morning, leaving a 30-year-old woman and her 31-year-old husband dead after both were shot.

“I can’t believe they, he, would actually shoot …” said Joseph Jordan, his voice trailing off, after being told what reportedly had transpired that morning in the house across the street.

Police have identified the shooting victims, both of who were declared dead at the scene, as Amber and Joshua Pereira.

The couple were found dead in their two-story, bungalow-style house at 160 Thelma Ave. after a female relative of Amber walked in and discovered the horrific scene, police said.

A handgun, police said, was found underneath Joshua Pereira’s body.

The relative called 911 at 8:05 a.m., police said.

A preliminary police investigation, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s office, revealed that Joshua, who recently had split with his wife and moved out of the house, drove to the Thelma Avenue house sometime before 8 a.m.

More than one witness on the street reported hearing “multiple gunshots” coming from inside the house after Joshua Pereira showed up — although there’s no evidence that anyone except the female relative dialed 911, according to DA spokesman Gregg Miliote.

Jordan, 44, said he previously lived across the street from the young couple until a year ago when he and his wife separated.

But he said he occasionally would visit his two daughters who still live with his wife in their Thelma Avenue home.

Jordan, who moved from Connecticut to Somerset less than three years ago, says he said hello once or twice to the couple when they came out to walk their two small dogs but otherwise never spoke with them.

“It looked like they were doing good financially,” Jordan said, noting that Joshua had bought a new pickup truck and added an above-ground pool to his large, fenced-in backyard.

The exterior grounds of the house at 160 Thelma Ave. are neat and orderly and appear to have been very well-maintained.

Jordan said he didn’t think the couple had children. He added that they sometimes had house parties with friends.

Miliote said there’s no evidence that the two dogs, if they in fact were in the house at the time of the shooting, were injured.

“It’s heartbreaking. I’ll be praying for them and their family,” Jordan said.

Rick Robillard and his wife, Jean, say they’ve lived on Thelma Avenue, which runs between Riverside and Brayton avenues, for two decades.

“He seemed to be an active guy,” Rick, 65, said, referring to Joshua Pereira.

“I’m surprised, shocked,” he said.

Robillard said he doesn’t know what Joshua Pereira did for a living, but he says he’d heard that Amber Pereira might have had a part-time job at a local eatery.

His wife summed up her reaction with two words: “It’s frightening,” Jean Robillard said.

The case is being investigated by state police detectives assigned to the Bristol DA’s office, along with homicide unit prosecutors and Somerset police, Miliote said.

Somerset police posted a comment to their Facebook.

"Please keep the family and friends in your thoughts... this is such a tragedy," it reads.