Walnut Creek suspected murder-suicide under investigation

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- A murder-suicide in Walnut Creek took the lives of two young people today. Investigators say there were no red flags leading up to this murder-suicide.

It happened at the front door of a Walnut Creek home around 7 a.m. Police say 21-year old, Scott Bertics, shot and killed 19-year-old, Clare Orton, then turned the gun on himself. Orton's family members were home, but it happened too fast for them to stop it. Orten was one of four children.

"No parties, no fast driving, no nothing -- just nice kids," said Jim McClaskey, Orten's neighbor.

Police say Orton and Bertics had been in a relationship and their families knew each other. Neighbors say Orten ran cross-country, graduated from Los Lomas High School in 2014 and went on to San Diego State University.

"We saw her running through the neighborhood in her practices; just a wonderful family and a wonderful daughter," said Mary McClaskey, Orten's neighbor.

Bertics, whose family lives in this gated community, in Lafayette, was a 2012 graduate of Acalanes High School. He ran cross country, and went on to Stanford.

"These were upstanding citizens. There weren't red flags. There wasn't drugs or anything like that involved," said Walnut Creek Police Department Lt. Lanny Edwards.

Police say there were no previous disturbances or restraining orders related to them.