Baldwinsville dad who killed his daughter, then himself left suicide note, sheriff says

Bville murder suicide

A father and daughter - Chistopher and Ava Wood - were found shot dead in this home (green house) at 6 Triangle Place, Baldwinsville, on Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. (Rick Moriarity | Syracuse.com)

Baldwinsville, N.Y. — A father who killed his 14-year-old daughter before fatally shooting himself last week in Baldwinsville left a suicide note in the home, according to the sheriff.

Christopher Wood, 51, wrote a note before fatally shooting his daughter Ava Wood and then himself with a shotgun sometime between 10 p.m. Thursday and 8:30 a.m. Friday, Sheriff Toby Shelley told Syracuse.com | The Post Standard Tuesday.

The note was found by investigators when they were searching the home Friday morning. Shelley said he had not seen the note personally and was not ready to share the contents of the note.

Investigators have now confirmed the two deaths are a murder-suicide, but they are still tying up the investigation, Shelley said. Investigators, for example, are currently downloading all the data from the daughter’s and father’s phones.

Messages from Ava’s phone show that she was in contact with her mother at some point on Thursday night, Shelley said. He said those texts did not indicate she was under any distress.

On Tuesday, the sheriff’s office revealed that Wood legally purchased his shotgun on Jan. 4 or 5.

Ava was found dead in her bed on Friday morning after her mother asked for a status check because her daughter didn’t show up to school, said Tom Newton, a spokesperson for the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office. Her father was found dead in another bedroom with the shotgun near his body, he said.

Ava was a ninth-grader at Durgee Junior High School.

As police and deputies walked through the home at 6 Triangle Place they saw an immaculate house filled with photos of Christopher Wood and Ava, Shelley said.

“I’ve been to a lot of calls,” Shelley said. “This is in the top 10 worst calls I’ve ever been to.”

Related articles on Syracuse.com

B’ville dad who killed daughter in murder-suicide bought shotgun just 2 weeks before

Friends, classmates fill prayer service for Ava Wood

Ava Wood ran fast, shared her gummies, and made friends laugh: ‘Trying hard was her thing’

Mom of Ava Wood’s message to Central NY: Thank you for outpouring of love, support

14-year-old girl fatally shot in apparent murder-suicide by dad in Baldwinsville home

Police called on Baldwinsville dad involved in apparent murder-suicide twice before: Why no arrests?

Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.