Boyfriend Dies by Suicide After Powerlifter Mom, Another Man Found Fatally Shot in Kitchen

Ohio authorities are investigating a double homicide that ended with the suspected killer turning the gun on himself.

Amanda Leigh Wakut, 33, and Richard Eastin, 35, were found fatally shot in the kitchen of a Lakewood, Ohio home on Sunday, June 21, according to the Lakewood Police Department. A 45-year-old man police suspect carried out the killings later shot and killed himself at a separate location.

Lakewood police did not name any of the parties in their statement, but the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims, according to WKYC and Cleveland.com.

The investigation began early Sunday morning after Lakewood police received a report that a man had told his ex-wife he had shot two people inside the home and intended to shoot himself, according to a police report.

Officers arriving at the scene watched a pickup truck flee at high speed. After a brief pursuit, the driver — identified as the 45-year-old man — stopped his vehicle, stepped out with a gun to his head and shot himself as officers attempted to speak with him, the police report states.

Officers then recovered the bodies of Wakut and Eastin from inside the residence.

Lakewood Police told the 45-year-old man was Wakut’s boyfriend, but said they could not comment on her relationship with Eastin.

Wakut was a devoted mother and powerlifter whose death has left her community grieving.

“[Amanda] not only taught him how to be strong, but all of her clients, friends, and loved ones,” read part of a GoFundMe set up to support her son. “She helped the people around her be better. Whether that was in perfecting their form, demonstrating dedication, determination, and excellence, or simply showing up when you needed a friend.”

Friends are remembering Eastin as a “genuine, kind-hearted, and loyal” person in a separate GoFundMe.

“Richard was a goal-driven person who worked hard for the things he believed in and cared deeply for the people in his life,” read part of the fundraiser. “He was the kind of person who would literally give the shirt off his back to help someone in need, never expecting anything in return.”