PORT ST. LUCIE − Port St. Lucie Police are investigating an apparent weekend murder-suicide in which a man fatally shot his wife and then himself, the agency stated.
Police about 2:52 a.m. Sunday went to a home in the 5400 block of Northwest Cromey Street regarding a report of gunshots. The location is west of Florida’s Turnpike in the area of North Torino Parkway and Northwest Conley Drive.
A man and a woman, identified Monday by police as Gilles Ballay, 51, and his wife, Giselle Ballay, 52, were found dead in a bedroom, both from apparent gunshot wounds.
“The preliminary investigation revealed that the 51-year-old male repeatedly shot his 52-year-old wife as she slept, then shot himself,” police stated.
Police recovered a 9mm handgun at the house thought to have been used in the incident, Mesiti said.
“There were marital issues between the husband and wife with frequent discussions of divorce,” Sgt. Dominick Mesiti, police spokesperson, said Monday.
A family member, a 16-year-old girl, and a friend, also a 16-year-old girl, were in the home at the time. They were not hurt.
One of the teens called 911, Mesiti said.
‘We're all kind of shocked’
The incident surprised neighbors in the area.
Marie Moreau, 72, said Gilles Ballay spoke to her when she was working in her yard, and also helped her with some lawn fixtures.
She remembered Giselle Ballay rolling down the window as she was in her yard and greeting her.
Moreau, who has lived there since 2008, knew of no disagreements between them.
“They sit in the patio, they laugh, I never know they have any argument,” Moreau said. “I thought it's a good family.”
Stephanie Sherman, 51, said she’d met the couple before because their daughter is the same age as hers.
“I drove by them just about every day,” Sherman said. “I think as far as neighbors go, we're all kind of shocked and didn't see it coming and assumed that they were a normal, happy family.”
Neighbor Deron Harris, 40, said he moved to his home in 2020.
“We built a relationship because my kids are 3 and under,” Harris said. “His dog would play with us, daughter would walk her little dog and then that's how I built a relationship with them.”
He said they spoke as neighbors, and thought all seemed well.
“I knew that his daughter was nervous about school, and she was about to go into college,” Harris said.
He thought Giselle Ballay was involved in real estate.
Another neighbor, Chris Zitani, 66, said he was good friends with Gilles Ballay, and knew him for several years. Gilles Ballay, he said, worked in painting. He originally was from France and was a “high end” baker.
He thought Gilles Ballay had been in the military in France. Zitani said Gilles Ballay remarked about marital issues.
“He said something about ... if we get divorced, I don't know if I'm going to stay here,” Zitani said. “He says I just might go back to France or do something different.”
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Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com .
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Port St. Lucie Police investigate weekend murder-suicide
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