Man shoots three after dispute over a washing machine in U.S.

He was a heavy drinker and had a large gun collection

A 54-year-old father killed his 54-year-old wife, his son’s 48-year-old girlfriend and a 27-year-old man who was visiting over a washing machine dispute in Rowland Heights, Los Angeles, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department said.

“It looks like it was a dispute between the dad and the son’s girlfriend, probably over using the washing machine,” Sheriff’s Lt. John Corina told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. “For some reason, this set the dad off.”

The father was a heavy drinker and had a large gun collection. Authorities had made dozens of previous trips to the home, police said.

The son, 33-year-old Christopher Morey, eventually managed to take the gun from his father and shot him, authorities said. Morey is being held on suspicion of murder, but a sheriff’s spokesman said the charges could change.

“That was his girlfriend (who was shot). That’s why he went all crazy,” the friend said.

The sheriff said that Morey and his girlfriend lived at the house with his parents, since his 54-year-old mother had recently had a stroke and they were looking after her.