CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT) -
Search warrants obtained by NBC12 show the chaos Chesterfield police discovered when they arrived at the scene of this weekend's murder/suicide.
Those search warrants reveal Chris Jernigan was still alive when officers got to his house and so were two of his victims--his wife Renotta, and Renotta's two-year-old son Seth.
In the search warrants, the officers say they saw Chris standing outside holding a gun, so they took cover. Then they heard gunshots and moments later found Chris dead inside his home.
Renotta couldn't be revived. While Seth was rushed to the hospital, he later succumbed to his injuries.
The crime has stunned the community, as people question what could lead to such a heartbreaking scene.
Chris' 67-year-old father says Renotta and Chris may have been having trouble in their marriage.
At 9:42 p.m. Father's Day evening, Jernigan says his son texted him, saying, "Just wanted to tell you I love you and that you did a great job raising me. I am sorry at times I stressed you out because of my situation."
Twenty minutes later, Chris Jernigan and his family were dead.
While Chris had trouble keeping a job, his dad maintains his son loved his wife and kids and he can't understand what drove him over the edge.
Neither Chris nor Renotta Jernigan's families have been ready to speak with us on camera but they do say funeral arrangements are currently being made.
The search warrants also show that police took several items from the Jernigan home including a handgun, blood samples and electronics including computers though no one else is believed to be responsible for these crimes.
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