A young man's birthday party in Lake Havasu ended in six deaths. He was celebrating his 24th birthday with friends and family when the man from his girlfriend's past reportedly ended the party with violence.

The suspect used to date the girlfriend of the young man. The girlfriend and the suspect had children together, and sources say that the suspect left the two kids with his family after he had returned from the Lake Havasu party that his ex had thrown for the new man in her life.

Exactly what happened when the suspect arrived at the birthday party is not yet known. Such details are difficult to uncover when only one adult survived the incident. But investigators believe this was a domestic violence dispute gone terribly wrong.

According to sources, the suspect surprised the six guests at the party and then allegedly shot every person there. Five of the guests died, including the ex-girlfriend, her current boyfriend, a couple of their friends and one of their parents. A friend's mother survived the shooting and is reported to be in stable condition.

After the alleged shooter left the party and left his children with family, he killed himself.

Investigators and professionals who have worked extensively with domestic violence cases think that the suspect likely got angry upon hearing about the party his ex was hosting for her new boyfriend. They believe he might have become jealous and worried about child custody arrangements, which led to an emotional, violent reaction.

The suspect had been accused of violence in his past, and his ex-girlfriend had a restraining order out against him. Experts say that that combination can often lead to more severe acts of domestic violence. 

Resource

AZCentral.com: Police work to find motive in Lake Havasu shooting (8/31/2010)