- Taylor Hagan was in her apartment Tuesday afternoon when she was shot
- Briton Hagan’s husband then turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide
- According to police, the two were dead before officers could arrive at the scene
A New Mexico police candidate was killed by her husband in a murder-suicide in their home – leaving their eight-year-old son orphaned on Thanksgiving.
Taylor Hagan, 32, was at her apartment at the Olympus Encantada Apartments in northeast Albuquerque on Tuesday afternoon.
Investigators believe that her husband, Briton Hagan, 41, shot her at around 4 p.m. The Briton is then said to have turned the gun on himself.
Taylor was still in the Albuquerque Police Academy when she was murdered.
Taylor Hagan (pictured left), a New Mexico police officer, was killed by her husband in an apparent murder-suicide in their home, leaving their eight-year-old son orphaned on Thanksgiving
Hagan was still in the Albuquerque Police Academy when she was murdered
Both were pronounced dead when officers arrived at the scene. According to KRQE, a neighbor tipped off police after learning about the shooting.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina remembered Hagan in a statement Wednesday
“She chose to serve the community as a police officer and keep the community safe,” he said.
“My sincerest condolences go out to her family and loved ones on behalf of the entire APD family.”
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller called her death a tragic loss and urged people to watch for warning signs of domestic violence and abuse.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of APD Cadet Taylor Hagan and are keeping her loved ones and fellow cadets in our prayers,” Keller said in a statement.
“Domestic violence affects people from all walks of life and incidents can unfortunately increase during the holidays, so I urge everyone in our community to be on the lookout for warning signs of abuse.”
Taylor Hagan, 32, was in her apartment at the Olympus Encantada Apartments in northeast Albuquerque Tuesday afternoon when she was killed
Hagan was in her apartment at the Olympus Encantada Apartments in northeast Albuquerque Tuesday afternoon when her husband murdered her
Maria Cahuenas, director of the New Mexico Domestic Violence Resource Center, said the tragedy is a reminder of what can be done this time of year to prevent such incidents.
“During the holidays their numbers increase. “We have attorneys working during the holidays who can respond to the scene of domestic violence and immediately begin providing services to the victim,” Cahuenas told KOAT.
“We understand how difficult it is to talk about it and even process it.” We meet the victims where they are. You don’t have to reveal anything that happens. You can contact us to see what’s available in the community.’