Police say a Pennsylvania man shot his girlfriend and then turned the gun on himself after losing his job and becoming increasingly “upset” about the coronavirus pandemic.
“I already talked to God, and I have to do this,” said Roderick Bliss IV, 38, before firing a shot into his 43-year-old girlfriend’s back and fatally shooting himself in Wilson, Pennsylvania, on Monday, according to police.
The girlfriend, who has not been named, was taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to survive. Police Chief Chris Meehan said that a call about shots fired came around 1:20 p.m. on Monday, according to Lehigh Valley Live. He said the girlfriend was still conscious when first responders arrived and told officers that Bliss was behind the shooting.
“In the days prior to the shooting, Bliss had become increasingly upset over the COVID-19 pandemic,” Meehan said. “Minutes before the shooting, Bliss was extremely upset about the pandemic and the fact that he had recently lost his job.”
“He went into the basement and came outside onto the rear porch with the victim,” Meehan said. “The victim ran off the porch, and he shot at her four times, striking her once. Bliss then shot himself.”
It is not clear if Bliss had lost his job because of the coronavirus pandemic. The coroner ruled that he died by suicide.
