Arizona Man Confessed to Killing Parents, Younger Brother After Argument

Arizona man Brandon Lujan is facing charges of three counts of first-degree murder after he confessed to killing his parents and brother following an argument.

Phoenix police said the 34-year-old suspect has yet to enter any pleas on charges against him, People reported.

Police officers went to East Pinchot Avenue in Phoenix on Saturday at around 11:30 p.m. after receiving reports of shots fired. However, they did not find any victims or evidence of a shooting.

Phoenix police were called the next day to a local veterans hospital after a patient, who was identified as Lujan, confessed to hospital staff that he killed his brother and parents, AZ Family reported.

The Arizona man went to the hospital to seek medical treatment for a twisted ankle.

The Killing of Lujan Family

Officers arrived at the hospital and spoke to Brandon Lujan. The suspect then told investigators that he killed his family at their home, which was in the same neighborhood officers were called at the night before.

Authorities visited the house and found all three victims dead with multiple gunshots wounds. The Arizona man was arrested at the hospital and was taken to a police station.

Brandon Lujan admitted to detectives that he had an argument with his 63-year-old father, Lewis Lujan, and his 56-year-old mother, Irene Lujan, at their home on Saturday and agreed to resolve it at a later time.

However, his 30-year-old brother, Matthew Lujan, reportedly got involved, pushed the Arizona man, and twisted his ankle. Matthew had also allegedly punched him twice in the face.

Brandon Lujan said he pulled a gun from his waistband and shot his brother. He then shot him additional times as he tried to get up from the ground.

Brandon's father had come out of a bedroom when he heard the gunshots. He then lunged at him. The Arizona man said that he shot both of his parents because they lunged at him.

Court documents noted that Brandon Lujan was not under the influence of drugs. However, incidents of violence had occurred before the killings, AZ Central reported.

Court records also showed that despite knowing that his family members were dead, he did not try to call for help or give first aid.

Brandon told police that he could not recall what he did with his clothes or handgun after the killings. However, he said that he remembered reloading his gun before shooting his family.

The suspect is currently held in custody at a Maricopa County jail. The Arizona man is being held on a $1 million bond.

Familicide in the United States

Experts said men are often driven to murder their families by intense feelings of shame brought by a job loss or a perceived inability to provide.

However, forensic psychologists and criminologists noted that these murderers do not simply snap but usually have records of mental illness, ABC News reported.

Dr. John Bradford, head of the forensic psychiatry department at the University of Ottawa, said that women are more likely to kill their children than men. However, men are more likely to kill both their children and their spouse.

Law enforcement officials and agencies do not specifically track familicides, which has created discrepancies in how the crimes are classified.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

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