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A friend of Melissa Wilkinson told the Hour that Mark Wilkinson had been living in his daughter's Wilton Avenue apartment for two years. The friend said Melissa had had enough of it and asked him to move out, the Hour reported. That Sunday he shot her and then himself, according to police.
Related story: Father, daughter dead after apparent murder-suicide in Norwalk
Mark Wilkinson had been arrested for driving under the influence in Westport in 2009 after he was stopped driving nearly 40 miles over the speed limit, according to the Hour. He also had a gun in his car at the time, the Hour reported. At the time he lived in Weston and owned a martial arts studio in Westport, according to the Hour.
Melissa Wilkinson had worked at a couple of restaurants in South Norwalk, and was described in glowing terms by the owner of her most recent workplace, the Hour reported.
Police responded to the Wilton Avenue apartment in the early hours of Monday morning after Melissa Wilkinson's co-workers had arrived to check in on her when she hadn't shown up to work. After kicking in the door they found her lying dead on the floor, and Mark Wilkinson sitting in the apartment holding a gun, police said.
A tactical team arrived on the scene and tried to make contact with him, but he refused to communicate, police said. During the standoff, they heard a single gunshot and entered the apartment to find both Mark and Melissa Wilkinson dead, according to police. Police evacuated the apartments during the incident.
Click here to read the Hour story.
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