Vaughn Murder-Suicide Stuns Community

A woman, her adult son, and their family dog were found dead in a bedroom with apparent gunshot wounds Jan. 27 by the husband and father of the two when he returned to their Vaughn home after work that afternoon.

Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Carly Cappetto said the man reported the discovery and was cooperating with investigators. A firearm was recovered at the scene, and deputies are not searching for a suspect. It appeared that the woman and dog had been shot, and that the young man shot himself.

Neighbors identified the deceased as Jennifer Lantz, 48, and her son Zane, 24.

Investigators stated that Zane did not reside at the house, but had spent the previous night there with his parents. They reported he had struggled with alcohol abuse and mental health issues.

One neighbor, who spoke to a reporter on condition of anonymity, said, “The last two years had been really rough with addiction, but this was completely unexpected.” His friends were certain Zane was going to pull through, he said.

Jennifer, who went by Jen, was a para-educator working with special needs students in the Peninsula School District since 2011. 

One of her colleagues, who declined to give her name since she was not authorized to speak to the press, said, “Jen touched so many people with her positive support; she was so thoughtful and caring to everyone she met. Some food for thought, there is a lack of support for mental health, as well as drug and alcohol addiction, here (locally). I keep asking why this happened to this family.”

KP Fire Department Public Information Officer Anne Nesbit responded to the call with paramedics in her capacity as the volunteer battalion chief. “I remember Jen from when our children were small,” she said. “I was able to hug (the husband), which I think helped us both. Working in a community where friends and acquaintances could one day be patients is one of the blessings and curses of the job.

“The loss of life, the loss of the future imagined, is overwhelming. There is no fixing it. Only honoring it.”