A quiet California community is in shock after a respected physician and his wife were found fatally shot in their garage. Dr. Eric Cordes, 63, and his wife, Vicki Schiller, 66, were attacked on November 30 in Simi Valley’s Wood Ranch neighborhood. Neighbors alerted police after hearing gunfire late that morning. First responders rushed the couple to hospital, but neither survived.

Investigators quickly determined the shooting was not random. Police identified the suspect as the doctor’s son, 37-year-old Keith Cordes. According to witnesses, the attack appeared carefully planned. One neighbor recalled seeing the suspect circle the cul-de-sac minutes before the garage door opened, describing the moment as a deliberate “ambush.”

Less than three hours later, authorities located Keith’s vehicle burning in Chino, nearly 70 miles away. Inside, they found a body later confirmed to be his. Police say he set the car on fire and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A handgun recovered at the scene is believed to match the weapon used in the killings.

Although the motive has not been officially released, neighbors report the family had been dealing with long-standing financial tensions.

The tragedy has devastated a community where the couple were well known. Dr. Cordes had served as a radiologist for nearly three decades and was widely admired for his dedication to patients. Friends and neighbors remembered the pair as warm, generous people who brought joy to neighborhood gatherings.

Authorities emphasize that there is no ongoing threat as the investigation continues.