Overview
- Santa Clara police, in Thursday’s briefing, identified 52-year-old Mark Heflin as the victim and said his brother, 49-year-old Matthew Heflin of Indiana, carried out a targeted killing followed by suicide with no ongoing community threat.
- Police say Matthew approached Mark outside his home, hid a handgun in a paper bag, exchanged brief words, then opened fire; officers found Mark with multiple gunshot wounds and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
- After the shooting, investigators say Matthew fired more rounds, set the adjacent short-term rental on fire, and died inside; the coroner confirmed his identity through dental records.
- Detectives report Matthew traveled more than 2,000 miles from Bloomington in mid-April, stayed in the Bay Area for weeks, and began secretly renting the house next to Mark about three days before the May 8 attack, which family members did not know about.
- Crime-scene teams recovered 12 shell casings and, inside the burned rental, a passport, four pistols, ammunition, manufactured fire logs, and about $95,000 in cash; police searched Matthew’s Indiana home, found no note, and say the investigation continues.