Police: Man shot wife to death with son in the house, then took own life

Police discovered Pretina Marie Tatum, 40, and Patrick Lamont Isley, 44, dead of gunshot wounds at about 6:30 p.m. Friday at their home at 308 Burtner St.

Lt. Jill Gladieux said the boy went to a neighbor’s house to call 911.

“It’s horrific, it really is,” Gladieux said. “The two younger children thankfully weren’t home when this occurred.”

The 911 call on Friday was  not the first time police came to the house on a report of domestic violence.

Gladieux said police have had “some calls” for domestic-related incidents in the past, though she said she did not have an exact number available.

In 2008, Isley was charged with communicating threats and assault on a female, police said. Tatum was the victim in those offenses.

She also filed for a protection order in 2008, police said.

Preliminary autopsy results show Isley shot Tatum several times before shooting and killing himself, Gladieux said.

The couple had four children, between them, one an adult. Gladieux said it’s not clear if Isley and Tatum, who were married in 2007, were both the biological parents of all four.

Child Protective Services will determine who will care for the children now, she said.

GREENSBORO — A man shot and killed his wife, then himself, while one of their children was home Friday evening, police said.

Police were called to 308 Burtner St. about 6:30 p.m. and found Pretina Marie Tatum, 40, and Patrick Lamont Isley, 44, shot dead. Preliminary autopsy results reveal Isley shot Tatum several times before shooting and killing himself, said Lt. Jill Gladieux.

The couple had four children, one of them an adult. Gladieux said it's not clear if Isley and Tatum, who were married in 2007, were both the biological parents of all four.

On Friday evening, however, their 13-year-old son was home when the shootings occurred, Gladieux said. He left the house and went to a neighbor's home to call 911.

Gladieux said police are uncertain what led to the murder-suicide, and said she's uncertain if police will ever know. But she called what happened in the house a tragedy.

"It's horrific, it really is," she said. "The two younger children thankfully weren't home when this occurred."

Gladieux said it will be up to Child Protective Services to determine where they will live now.

Friday's call was not the first 911 call for help to the address. Gladieux said police have had "some calls" for domestic-related incidents in the past, though she did not have an exact number available.

In 2008 Isley was charged with communicating threats and assault on a female, Gladieux said. Tatum was the victim in those offenses.

She took out a protection order in 2008, but

GREENSBORO — A 13-year-old son of a local couple was at home Friday evening when his father shot his mother to death, then took his own life, police said.

Police discovered Pretina Marie Tatum, 40, and Patrick Lamont Isley, 44, dead of gunshot wounds at about 6:30 p.m. Friday at their home at 308 Burtner St.

Lt. Jill Gladieux said the boy went to a neighbor’s house to call 911.

Police are uncertain what led to the shootings, and said Gladieux said police may never know.

“It’s horrific, it really is,” Gladieux said. “The two younger children thankfully weren’t home when this occurred.”

The couple had four children, between them, one an adult. Gladieux said it’s not clear if Isley and Tatum, who were married in 2007, were both the biological parents of all four.

Preliminary autopsy results reveal Isley shot Tatum several times before shooting and killing himself, Gladieux said.

Child Protective Services will determine who will care for the child now, police said.

Authorities said Friday’s call was not the first 911 call for help to the address. Gladieux said police have had “some calls” for domestic-related incidents in the past, though she said she did not have an exact number available.

In 2008, Isley was charged with communicating threats and assault on a female, police said. Tatum was the victim in those offenses.

Gladieux said Tatum took out a protection order in 2008, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether the term of the order was for 10 days or 1 year. It was also not clear whether the 2008 order expired on it’s own or was not extended.

Gladieux said it was not clear if Tatum took out a 10-day protection order or if it was a 50B domestic violence protective order — one that lasts a year, but can be extended. Gladieux said it is also not clear if the order expired or if Tatum just didn't get it extended.

"It's a community tragedy," Gladieux said.