Neighbours have revealed how a distraught little girl walked up to their home to say that her dad had shot her mum in a suspected murder-suicide.
Police discovered the bodies of Krystel and James Paul, both 41, at their Verbena Drive home in Mount Sheridan, south of Cairns, on Tuesday night after conducting a welfare check.
The childhood sweethearts were found dead with gunshot wounds in different rooms inside the home.
Mount Sheridan local Danna Lancini said the couple’s scared nine-year-old daughter came to her home moments after they heard gunshots.
Ms Lancini’s husband initially thought the loud bangs were other neighbours completing renovations on their house.
The girl was in complete shock and struggled to speak.
‘I had to comfort her last night because she told me that her mum was dead,’ Ms Lancini told the Cairns Post.
‘The girl said ‘my dad sent me here because she’s dead’.’
The Pauls were well-known in the Cairns region so the shooting was a huge shock to the community.
‘I never would’ve expected this to happen to them, there were no signs, nothing, they were just so good,’ Ms Lancini said.
Other neighbours were equally shocked.
‘To go through all that effort, you know, build a house up there, and get a lovely little puppy, and then just throw it all away,’ Cooper Smith said.
‘To leave your daughter, it’s horrible, I just don’t have words for it, honestly.’
Emergency responders arrived to ‘traumatising’ scenes inside the home.
‘I have not previously been exposed to anything like this before,’ Detective Acting Inspector Alina Bell told reporters on Wednesday.
Police don’t believe the girl witnessed the incident.
‘However that still doesn’t take away from how traumatising that will be for that child and the family members and friends moving forward,’ Det Bell said.
The girl had been ‘alerted to the incident occurring’ before reaching out to family members and neighbours.
‘That triple zero call occurred as a result of another family member calling us,’ Det Bell said.
The Pauls didn’t have a domestic violence or mental health history and were not known to police.
‘It’s always possible that things go on behind closed doors that family, friends and police are not aware of,’ Det Bell said.
‘But our investigations have indicated to date that there is no indication that there was any domestic violence within that relationship.’
Multiple firearms were located in the home, all registered to the husband.
The child is currently in the care of family members who are being given ongoing support.
‘This is not only a tragic occurrence for friends and family it also significantly impacts on the whole of the community,’ Det Bell said.
Police have launched an investigation into why the ‘tragic’ incident occurred and to provide answers to family members.
Anyone with information or relevant footage to come forward.
Krystel opened Chanel Jaymes Bridal Boutique in Cairns in 2019.
Her husband was in charge of JP Painting Contractors for more than 10 years.
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