May 25, 2021 2 min read

McDONALD – Will Gates said he spoke with his next-door neighbor Monday afternoon, learned he was a coal miner and then heard “pop, pop, pop” after he returned home.

Another neighbor called for the police and in no time the otherwise quiet neighborhood was crawling with investigators and other emergency responders, said Gates’ wife, Carol.

One of the next things Carol Gates heard was, “Get the kid out of the house,” she said.

Police found the three victims shot to death in an apparent double-homicide-suicide, the Washington County coroner’s office said.

Coroner Tim Warco identified the victims as James Garove, 27, Christina Garove, 27, and Suzanne Faingnaert, 57.

Christina Garove’s sister, Elizabeth Faingnaert, started an online fundraiser seeking money for funeral expenses for her stepmother and sister. In the posting, she claimed the two had been murdered.

State police did not identify who had the weapon in the slayings.

“He seemed fine and didn’t show any signs of being uptight,” Will Gates said.

“It’s a shock, Carol Gates added. “I still can’t believe it. She was such a nice neighbor.”

Carol Gates said the Garoves had a 6-year-old son. She said the two had split up before, reunited and then were preparing Monday to part ways again.

“They had been arguing. He was ready to move out,” she said.

On Tuesday, many motorists slowed to look at the house at 217 Valley Street where the bodies were found. Overgrown weeds were in the small front lawn, along with a plastic sandbox filled with rainwater.

Warco said the cause and manner of the deaths were pending further investigation.

To contribute to the fundraiser, visit: gofundme.com/f/funeral-cost-for-sue-faingnaert-and-chrissy-carr