A distraught firefighter from Florida killed his wife in a murder-suicide a few weeks after she posted on Facebook about how his demanding work schedule was driving him to the verge of despair.
Lieutenant Shawn Yarbrough of St. Johns County Fire Rescue shot his wife, Andrea Yarbrough, 34, inside their northeast Florida home in St. Augustine.
After Yarbrough turned the gun on himself, the two were discovered dead in an upstairs bathroom by deputies on June 13, after 9 p.m., according to an incident report.
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The couple had four children together as a blended family after one year of marriage.
On June 13, Florida firefighter Shawn Yarbrough shot and killed his wife, Andrea Yarbrough, before taking a pistol to himself. (On Facebook)
When Andrea’s mother was unable to get in touch with daughter, deputies were first sent to the residence to conduct a welfare check.
3,203 service calls were included in the monthly activity logs for her husband’s department, which Andrea shared on Facebook on May 31.
She captioned the photo, “This is why all of our significant others are exhausted and never function 100% at home.”
After nearly a month, she and her spouse had passed away.
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After raising concerns about his working conditions, the loving mother—a financial manager—posted three times on Facebook, showing pictures of their happy family.
After vacating, the girl survives a shark attack in Florida. The doctor noticed blood in the water and reacted.
Figure displaying the amount of calls made to first responders in April.
Weeks before her husband, a firefighter, killed her in a murder-suicide, Andrea Yarbrough uploaded a diary of service calls to Facebook. (On Facebook)
He had three sons, and she had an 11-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.
According to Andrea’s mother Debbie Churchill, “she loved those boys and wanted the best for them,” Fox News Digital was informed. “Everything is difficult and perplexing at the moment. It defies explanation. I have no idea how. Nobody can truly comprehend it unless they have personally experienced it.”
Olivia Marvin, Andrea’s younger sister, told the local publication Action Jax that before the startling outburst of violence, her sister had been upbeat about her life.
She added, “We are so crushed.” “We believed that everything was at last fitting together. She took great pride in each of her children and their accomplishments. She was constantly trying to do what was best for everyone.”
On June 13, Florida firefighter Shawn Yarbrough committed a murder-suicide, killing his wife. (On Facebook)
Sean McGee, the chief of fire rescue for St. Johns County and boss of Yarbrough, commented on the murder-suicide on Facebook.
“The recently reported events were unexpected, shocking, and tragic for all those affected,” he stated. “As a department, we are profoundly saddened by the loss of life, recognizing its enduring impact on the families and children of those affected.”
Suicides have long been a problem for the country’s emergency response agencies.
According to a Ruderman Family Foundation survey, suicide claims the lives of more first responders annually than accidents while performing their duties.
A research published in 2022 by the nonprofit FirstHelp group estimated that between 2016 and 2022, almost 1,200 police and correctional officers committed suicide.
Shawn Yarbrough, a firefighter, in full uniform.
On June 13, St. Johns County Fire Rescue Lieutenant Shawn Yarbrough committed murder-suicide, taking the life of his spouse, Andrea Yarbrough. (On Facebook)
The group claims that 122 police officers, 25 firefighters, and 10 correctional staff members committed themselves last year.
Psychologist Katherine Kulhman, who focuses in treating first responders, observed that many affected law enforcement and fire personnel are reluctant to seek mental health treatment that could avert catastrophic consequences.
She told Fox News Digital, “There has always been a stigma around mental health in the fire service and in law enforcement.” “They should be the ones helping other people because they are the heroes…” If they sense anything is off, it seems like they are conceding defeat.”
According to Kulhman, overwork and extreme stress are commonplace for firemen in particular.
Trauma is frequently encountered, and there isn’t much time after a traumatic incident for a person to absorb and deal with it before moving on to the next call or shift. Trauma builds up over time for first responders, the speaker stated.
A couple grinning at an outdoor camera.
After after about a year of marriage, Florida firefighter Shawn Yarbrough killed his wife, Andrea Yarbrough, by murder-suicide. (On Facebook)
According to Kuhlman, the same underlying mental health pressures that cause suicide also play a role in murder-suicides.
The Violence Policy Center estimates that there are about 600 murder-suicides in the country annually.
Yarbrough’s daughter has a GoFundMe established by a family member that has generated over $10,000.
Action Jax was informed by Marvin that despite her difficult circumstances, her sister has a strong and resilient spirit.
“Andrea meant the world to everyone in our family and everyone she encountered,” Marvin stated. “Anyone who knew her knew she’d never give up, no matter how hard things got.”