MCLEAN, Va., July 15 (UPI) -- A former Bush administration official shot and killed his 12-year-old son and then killed himself in his McLean, Va., home, police say.
The deaths followed a violent argument between William Lash, 45, a former assistant secretary of commerce, and his wife, Sharon Zackula, The Washington Post reports.
Lash and Zackula had a dispute Thursday night and Zackula fled the house, Fairfax County police officer Richard Henry said.
When three or four officers arrived at Lash's home at 9:55 p.m., they knocked on several doors but got no answer, Henry said. Within 10 minutes, the officers heard two gunshots from inside the house, he said.
Friends and neighbors described Lash as devoted to his only child, William H. Lash IV, who was autistic and had just completed sixth grade. The father and son often attended Washington Nationals baseball games together, one neighbor told the Post.
Zackula, a lawyer with the National Association of Securities Dealers, could not be reached for comment, the Post said.
