Ann Mannix, a pioneering former San Francisco deputy police chief, was killed along with her daughter in what authorities described as an apparent murder-suicide involving her husband, a retired police sergeant, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office said.
The victims were identified as Mannix, 65, a former SWAT commander; her 24-year-old daughter, Katie; and her husband, 68-year-old retired San Francisco Police Sgt. Kevin Mannix.
“The preliminary investigation indicates a suspected double-murder suicide involving three individuals,” Miguel Almaguer, the Marin County Sheriff’s public information officer, said in a statement. “The suspected shooter is male.”
At a later news briefing, Almaguer identified Kevin Mannix as the suspected shooter. He said investigators could not provide details about evidence recovered at the residence.
A portrait of retired San Francisco Deputy Police Chief Ann Mannix was shared by the city’s Police Officers Association. The trailblazing former SWAT commander was fatally shot Sunday in an apparent murder-suicide. (SFPOA)
Deputies were dispatched to the family’s Mill Valley home shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday following a 911 call.
The caller reportedly escaped the house safely but was described only as another resident. When deputies entered the property, they found all three family members dead, authorities said.
Katie Mannix appears in an undated Facebook photo. Authorities said the 24-year-old daughter of two prominent retired San Francisco Police Department members was killed by her father in an apparent murder-suicide over the weekend. (Katie Mannix/Facebook)
Autopsies for the three victims were scheduled to take place Tuesday.
“It is with profound sadness, shock, and heavy hearts that we address the devastating news that emerged out of Marin County on Sunday evening,” Louis Wong, president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, said Monday. “The tragic loss of retired Deputy Chief Ann Mannix, her daughter Katie, and retired Sergeant Kevin Mannix in a suspected murder-suicide has left our entire SFPD family reeling. There are no words that can fully capture the depth of this tragedy, nor are there simple answers to the painful questions we are all asking.”
The Mannix family’s home on Strawberry Circle in Mill Valley is shown in this Google Maps image. (Google Maps)
Wong said Ann Mannix was the first woman to join the San Francisco Police Department’s SWAT team and later became its leader. She also supported youth sports for her children and other young people and served on the board of the city’s Police Activities League.
“Ann had a lot of talent, and she was very competent,” said Lou Barberini, a former San Francisco police officer and Bay Area columnist who knew the couple. “She was a great athlete, she was a good cop, and she was well-liked.”
The San Francisco Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.