Sister: Woman shot in Austin murder-suicide ‘beautiful inside and out’

A man apparently shot a woman to death before turning the gun on himself Monday evening in the West Side Austin neighborhood, authorities said.

They were both shot at 6:36 p.m. in the 4900 block of West Washington, according to Chicago Police.

The woman, identified as 26-year-old Ashley Shanta-Nicole Harrison of the Lawndale neighborhood, had been shot multiple times, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

“Ashley was a beautiful person inside in out,” her sister, Shawanda Harris said.

The man, identified as 34-year-old Brian A. Jones, suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, authorities said. He lived in the same block where the shooting occurred.

Both were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where they were pronounced dead within the hour, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

The shooting was believed to be a “domestic incident,” police said.

Autopsies Tuesday found that Harrison died of multiple gunshot wounds to the head, and her death was ruled a homicide. Jones died from a single gunshot wound to the head, and his death was ruled a suicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Harris said her sister, a high school and college graduate, had been “independent since she was able to work a job. Ashley loved travel, dressing and shopping. She was the life of the party.

“Whenever Ashley was mad at you, she couldn’t stay mad for long because something about you she’d miss, so it didn’t last long,” Harris said.