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ALIQUIPPA, Pa. (DailyKenn.com) — A 43-year-old woman was found shot to death inside her vehicle in a quiet Aliquippa neighborhood Saturday night, in what investigators have described as an apparent murder-suicide involving only the victim and another local resident.
Cynthia Zipfel, a longtime Aliquippa resident and medical assistant, was discovered deceased around 10:50 p.m. in the 900 block of Franklin Avenue, behind a residential building. Officers from the Aliquippa Police Department responded to reports of gunfire and two possible victims, according to a preliminary police statement. Zipfel, who had been sitting in the driver's seat of her parked car, suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest. The Beaver County coroner's office ruled her death a homicide following an autopsy Sunday morning.
Moments after arriving at the scene, officers located 26-year-old Jalen Love, also of Aliquippa, in a nearby parking lot suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Love was pronounced dead at the scene despite immediate medical efforts. The incident unfolded rapidly in the rear lot of a home on Franklin Avenue, a street lined with modest row houses and small businesses in the city's east end. No other individuals were present, and investigators recovered a handgun believed to have been used in both deaths.
The sequence of events began when Love allegedly approached Zipfel's vehicle, where the two were known to have a personal relationship, though details remain under wraps pending family notifications. Witnesses in the vicinity reported hearing a single pop, followed by shouts, around 10:45 p.m. "It was so sudden—just one loud crack, like a firecracker, and then silence," said Maria Gonzalez, 52, a neighbor who lives two doors down. She peered out her window to see flashing police lights converging on the lot. Another resident, who declined to give her name, described the aftermath: "I've lived here 15 years, and this is the first time something like this has hit so close. You hear about it happening elsewhere, but not in your own backyard."
Pennsylvania State Police from the Beaver barracks took over the investigation at the request of local authorities, citing the sensitive nature of the case. No charges are expected, as the deaths involve only the two parties. Autopsies confirmed the causes of death, and toxicology reports are pending to rule out any external factors.
Zipfel, born in Germany in 1982 and a graduate of Harrison Central High School in Mississippi, leaves behind a teenage daughter, Serena, her sister Pamela, and close friend Mickey Tiberio. She had worked for years as a medical assistant in the region and was remembered by colleagues as warm and dedicated. Love's family has not released a statement, but community members noted his struggles with mental health in recent months.
The tragedy has rattled Aliquippa, a steel-town community of about 9,000 grappling with economic decline and occasional violence. "We're a tight-knit place, but nights like this remind us we're not immune," said Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker at a brief Sunday news conference. Local clergy and counselors are offering grief support sessions at the community center this week, with residents lighting candles outside Zipfel's former workplace in her memory. Police have urged anyone with information to come forward, emphasizing the importance of mental health resources amid rising domestic incidents in Beaver County.
As the investigation continues, the focus shifts to healing a neighborhood forever altered by one fateful evening.
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Sources
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State police: Two deaths in Aliquippa appear to be a murder-suicide
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Two Dead in Weekend Shooting Incident in Aliquippa, Pennsylvani
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State police investigating after 2 killed in Beaver County – WTAE
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State police: Two deaths appear murder-suicide – Times Online
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Beaver County Radio – Two people from Aliquippa die from gunshot wounds
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