Four Dead In Florida Family Murder-Suicide

53-Year-Old Music Teacher Kills Wife, Two Daughters And Self; Teenage Son Survives

(CBS/AP)  A 53-year-old music teacher fatally shot his wife and two daughters Wednesday before killing himself, while his 16-year-old son who survived the attack managed to call police as he escaped uninjured from the Miami home, authorities said.

Police haven't released names, but neighbors identified the family members as Pablo Josue Amador; his wife, Maria; their youngest daughters, Priscila and Rosa; and the escaped son, Javier. They said the couple also had a 19-year-old daughter who attends college.

CBS station WFOR in Miami reports that county records show the home is owned by Pablo and Maria Amador, 47, and that Maria worked at The Miami Project To Cure Paralysis, a research center dedicated to studies in the field of paralysis and spinal cord injury.

Sarait Betancourt, a 44-year-old school bus driver who lives near the family, said Amador is a Cuban immigrant who gave piano lessons at a guitar shop and at his home. Betancourt's two sons, ages 9 and 10, had been taking piano lessons from him once a week since 2006.

"He was a marvelous person and a tremendous professor," she said. "People would enter the house, and you just breathed peace."

Betancourt said all four children excelled at piano and performed together at church and home as Los Galileos. Authorities have not confirmed that there is a fourth sibling.

Officers went to the home in southern Miami-Dade County just before 6 a.m. to investigate reports of shots being fired. Police found a gun but didn't say what type or how many shots were believed fired.

Neighbors on the quiet street of modest single-family homes said there was nothing that particularly stood out about the family. Some remembered the father waving hello. Others remembered children playing in the family's in-ground pool and music emanating from the home.

Soraya Peer said she has lived next to the family for five years and had seen "nothing negative come out of that home before."

Christina Ruiz, a 23-year-old social work student who lives next to the family, described Amador as a "regular dad" who helped her grandmother jump-start her car several times but who was known to complain when he was bothered by noise or work being done on her house.

[elcantante1]

remrafdn said "elcantante said, "That is not true. My posts have always said "reducing the prevalence of guns". You all know that". BS. Or maybe one of his several alter egos said it."

That's not true either. I have said many times that I recommend the same thing that criminologists across this nation recommend:reduce the prevalence of guns. You are either confused or lying. I vote for the latter.

[elcantante1]

remrafdn said "" I do not advocate banning guns". remrafcl. ********! He did so in earlier posts."

That is not true. My posts have always said "reducing the prevalence of guns". You all know that.

[remrafcl]

barbaram said "I wish gun owners would lock up their guns "

Me too but most of them do not. The National Survey on Private Ownership and Use of Firearms found out that "Slightly more than half of all privately owned guns in the US are kept unlocked. Most of the locked guns are considered to be "poorly locked" either because the guns are locked up with flimsy locks or because unauthorized users know the combination to the lock or the location of the keys." Most gun related deaths occur at home. Gun related deaths are divided between homicides, suicides, accidental deaths, and those of undetermined intent. Most suicides occur at home as well as most accidental deaths. More than 1/3 of all homicides occur at home too. The main reason why most gun deaths occur at home is because guns are not properly secured giving access to them to depressed, suicidal, homicidal people. Even though guns at home increase the chances of death in your household locking up the guns could reduce those chances.

[remrafcl]

stupidrules said "He has been civil on this board this time."

I have always being civil. My posts do not contain threats, insults, or profanities.

Then he said "I also agree with you that he has a right to have his opinions posted on this board, even if I disagree with him. I am willing to fight for his first amendment rights even if he would deny me my second amendment rights."

I don't really know how to reply to that statement except to say that I admire you for taking the high road. I guess I was wrong about you. You proved to be the better man. I do not want to deny you of your Second Amendment Rights. I do not advocate banning guns. Although I won't lose any sleep if they are banned I advocate "reducing the prevalence of guns". That means you could have guns but you should not have arsenals. Still I am very greateful for your statement. Even if you do not consider me a friend I will consider you to be one. That is the least I could do for you. Thank you.

[stupidrules3]

Now that is just rude. I get tired of the pro/anti gun rants too, but having JUST elcantante1's posts removed is pretty low, especially when they were at least civil.
Posted by mdalerwill at 9:38 AM : Feb 26, 2009

He has been civil on this board this time. I also agree with you that he has a right to have his opinions posted on this board, even if I disagree with him. I am willing to fight for his first amendment rights even if he would deny me my second amendment rights.

[barbaram99]

I wish gun owners would lock up their guns

[elcantante1]

No matter how many messages you erase we still have 30,000 gun related deaths per year, guns at home increase the chances of suicide, homicide, and accidental death, guns are designed to kill people, and guns are a nuisance to our society.

The Department of Justice reports close to 1.7 million gun reltaed crimes per year but just 82,000 attempts to stop crimes with guns mostly against unarmed criminals. 30,000 are killed and just 250 saved with guns. More than 2/3 of all spouses and ex-spouses killed are killed with guns. Close to 100,000 students, close to all the kids of gun owners, bring guns to school each day.

We have discussed close to 100 gun related stories or murders and suicides here on this blog. Close to 98% of those cases the shooters have been legal gun owners like you. You can't erase that.

[gunnerv1]

I "pack heat" everywhere I go except my place of employment (Its been designated a "gun free victim zone") and yes there have been two firearms related murders and one suicide here.

[mdalerwill]

Now that is just rude. I get tired of the pro/anti gun rants too, but having JUST elcantante1's posts removed is pretty low, especially when they were at least civil.

[mdalerwill]

Regarding the couple of comments about how selfish suicide is, I would suggest people need a little more reading into the subject.

People driven to the point of suicide are not thinking rationally. That would seem like an obvious thing to point out, but people are responding to this incident as though the man made a conscious and rational choice to commit a murder/suicide. In his mind, it is very likely he was first and foremost ending his own PAIN and sparing his family the suffering he believed was inevitable in life. People who want to kill themselves don't really want to die; they want the pain to end, and they come to a point wherein they don't see any way for that to happen without dying. One should also consider that studies are showing that a large percentage of people who commit suicide are suffering to some greater or lesser degree from brain disfunctions that affect things like neurotransmitters and reuptake processes. This takes one's emotions and dials up the intensity to a degree that is just physiologically impossible for a "normal" person, so when I say that most of you cannot understand how this man felt, I mean it literally.

What can we take from this that is actually productive? The importance of making mental health a higher priority in this country. In California, for instance, the budget crisis has led to some severe program cuts, and one of the programs that has been hit the hardest is mental health services. I wouldn't be surprised if the situation in other states is the same. It's a catch-22, as there is so little money to go around, yet here is a service that is so desperately needed, especially now that we are seeing a rise in the number of people coming back from military and contractor services in the Middle East with severe PTSD.

[elramees]

Sometime words are inadequate. HOLY FATHER, please grant the relatives understanding, wisdom and access, they need you during times like this!

HOLY GOD, please bless the President of this Nation.
Thank YOU

[harbinger19]

davicar3 said "It would be easier to understand if it were true."

According to the most prominent criminologists in this country and around the world it is true. So I have a dilemman on my hands. I either believe what they say or you. "LOL" Guns are deadly weapons designed to kill people. It doesn't take a brain surgeon or a prominent criminologist to understand that such weapons increase the chances of death in any home. Of course, you are no brain surgeon or criminologist nor your post show a whole lot of intellect so I understand your statement.
Posted by elcantante1 at 2:32 PM : Feb 25, 2009


What you post is true, but understand that logistically, it is not possible to remove guns from this society. Even if all guns were banned tommorrow and all gun shops closed, there are enough guns entering illegally and enough already here to keep the same situations going.

Most towns have flea markets, auctions and private rummage sales. At any of those guns often are sold and no background checks occur. Adding to that, most criminals do not buy their guns from gun stores, they buy them at beauty salons (bootleg) from the trunks of cars, from street corners, etc. These guns are cheaper, may or may not have histories but are readily available.

It really is too late to put the genie back into the bottle. It is not about simply gun control--the fact is, there is no way this country could stop gun commerce anymore than they can stop illegal immigration, drug commerce or any other crime. To outlaw guns would make many ordinary citizens criminals and they would rebel--because given the behavior of cops and the time lag between crimes and when they get there, if they come at all...many people think it is "every man for themselves" and therefore stock up on even more guns. As the economy gets worse--the gun problems will get worse and more suicides will occur.

I know of places where you can request a semiautomatic weapon and for 25 to 50.00, it will be provided--no paperwork needed. This is the way that it is--idealism and wishful thinking aside.

[harbinger19]

Uh, just to be fair on this one, check out the crime reports. A HUGE portion of the gun crime in the UK is commited with fake guns. I looked into it after a comment like yours.
Posted by mdalerwill at 4:01 PM : Feb 25, 2009


I was actually born in the UK. While a huge portion of the gun crimes in the UK may be committed with fake guns, the actual number of gun crimes in the UK are very, very, very low. The weapons of choice, were and still are, knives and clubs.

[harbinger19]

"He was a marvelous person and a tremendous professor," she said. "People would enter the house, and you just breathed peace."


Obviously he wasn't. Yet another person who is a bad judge of character. Wouldn't it be nice if when people just can't take life anymore--they just offed themselves and left the rest of the family out of it. It is pretty selfish to not only destroy your own life, but not want anyone else to live too. May he rest in he11.

[Vicolas01]

Bea and Javier, if you come across this message
please listen and watch "How He Loves Us" by
Kim Walker.

Be encouraged and know that you and
your family are being lifted up in prayer

[stupidrules3]

elcantante1 said blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Now comes the part where he says,"We need to reduce the prevalance of guns in America," but does not have any idea how impossible it is to do that.

[stupidrules3]

Maybe this guy was like you and he carried a gun everywhere. It is because people like you that we have places where guns are not allowed.
Posted by elcantante1 at 4:05 PM : Feb 25, 2009

These places are called target rich environments for psychos and thugs. They love them because they know that law abiding citizens will not be able to stop them.

[u-r-right]

Why oh why do people feel the need to take others with them when they want to kill themselves? The act itself is selfish enough, especially when kids are involved.

[bhappy2-2]

The ONE who shall remain nameless keeps telling us that our guns are more likely to be used to kill us than defend us. Well, the ONE may be right. But if it is, they will have to beat me to death with it because by the time they take it there will be no more bullets left in it.

[mdalerwill]

The larger part of the blame is to be placed with the wife. Wrong you may think i am .
Posted by tootall1014 at 3:25 PM : Feb 25, 2009

Incoherent I think you are. What are you talking about???