Homicide detectives are attempting to determine what led to the shooting deaths of a woman and man in their Sherman Oaks driveway.
Authorities said they believe the man, a 39-year-old physician, shot his wife before shooting himself.
At about 5 p.m., Wednesday paramedics were called to 15045 Sherview Place in the hills of Sherman Oaks. Paramedics declared the couple dead and called police to the scene.
The home was surrounded by police, who entered the house with guns drawn to make sure the crime scene was clear and safe for detectives to proceed with their investigation.
The NBC4 LA news helicopter revealed a nicely clad man and well-dressed woman lying dead in pools of blood in the driveway to the gated Sherview Place home. It appeared a pistol was lying on the ground between the man and woman.
Detectives late Wednesday night said they believed the man, Dr. Alexander Michaelson who specializes in inectious diseases in Tarzana, shot and killed his wife, 32-year-old Vera Michaelson and then killed himself.
According to her Facebook page, she was from Minsk, Belarus, and earned degrees from Belarus State University of Technology and Cal State Northridge. She had just completed the dentistry masters program at Nova Southeastern University in south Florida.
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A neighbor told NBC4 LA they heard gunshots in the 11 a.m. hour Wednesday, but it wasn't until a co-worker of Dr. Michaelson's arrived to check on him that the bodies were discovered.
"I can't believe it happened, he was the nicest guy in the world." says Dan Kessler, who was one of Michaelson's coworkers.
Investigators said the couple had two children, ages 5 and 7, who were with family members in Orange County and remain there now as the investigation continues into what lead up to the murder-suicide event.
