Suspect in Deadly Santa Clara Shooting, Fire Was Victim's Estranged Brother, Police Say
Police say Matthew Heflin traveled from Indiana, secretly rented the neighboring home and used firearms and fire logs in a targeted killing-suicide.
- On Friday, May 8, 2026, Santa Clara Police Department Chief Cory Morgan confirmed that Matthew Heflin, 49, fatally shot his estranged brother Mark Heflin, 52, before setting fire to his rental home and taking his own life.
- Investigators determined Matthew traveled more than 2,000 miles from Bloomington, Indiana, to the San Jose area, where he secretly rented the property next door to Mark just three days before the attack.
- Inside the burned residence, authorities discovered the suspect's passport, four pistols, ammunition, manufactured fire logs, and $95,000 in cash. Police recovered 12 spent casings from the shooting scene.
- Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor offered condolences to the victim's family, stating, "A husband is gone, a father is gone, and no words from any of us can fill that absence."
- Although investigators have reconstructed the major events, Morgan said detectives continue working to understand the circumstances, as no note or manifesto was found in Indiana or California.
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15 Articles
Police: Bloomington man traveled to California to kill brother, then set house on fire before killing himself
Police in Santa Clara, California, said Matthew Heflin shot and killed his 52-year-old brother, Mark, before lighting the house on fire and killing himself.
New details released on California murder-suicide involving Bloomington man
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KRON) -- A Bloomington man carried out an elaborate and secret murder plot against his estranged brother in Santa Clara, California, investigators revealed on Thursday. Matthew Heflin, 49, gunned down his 52-year-old brother, Mark Heflin, outside the victim's home on Enright Avenue in Santa Clara, California on the afternoon of May 8, [...]
Suspect in deadly Santa Clara shooting, fire was victim's estranged brother, police say
Police in Santa Clara released additional details in connection with a deadly shooting and house fire last week, saying the suspect shot his estranged brother before setting the fire.
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