Murder-Suicide Witness Talked With Suspect On Phone During Standoff

The friend of a man who police said murdered his neighbor then killed himself after a long standoff with police had talked with the suspect in the midst of the ordeal.

Related Story: TPD Finds Suspect Dead Inside Home After Another Person Dies In Shooting

The friend talked to the suspect on the phone during the standoff. Anthony Plott said that when he talked to the suspect that the suspect said he didn't plan to hurt any other people but needed to eat breakfast before he decided what he was going to do next.

"We all got along for the most part,” said Plott. “I don't know where that came from."

Plott lives across the street from Jeyhun Valizada. Tulsa Police said it was a feud over loud music that ended with Valizada shooting his next-door neighbor Zachary Rivera in the head and chest.

"I was gonna go help do CPR, but he was gone,” said Plott. “His wife was on top of him crying."

Plott said while Tulsa's Special Operations Team was trying to contact Valizada, Plott called him and talked to him, then gave Valizada's number to police.

"[H]e was sorry and that he loved America and he willed no harm on the community and wasn't going to harm anybody else,” said Plott. “Said, 'I want to eat breakfast and then we'll go from there.'"

Negotiators spoke with Valizada for several hours before Valizada quit talking to them.

"If I have to talk to you for five hours, if it saves your life, it's well worth it,” said Captain Mike Williams, TPD.

SOT eventually broke down Valizada's door and discovered he'd killed himself. Neighbors said they've now seen something they can't unsee, and they are going to lose a lot of sleep over it.

"His life is over like the one that he [took] away. The same way,” said Genaro Coronado, Neighbor. “One's gone to heaven and the other one's gone who knows where."

Plott said the community needs to come together and have an open conversation.

"I'm sure we'll talk about it. Try to get over it. Communicate,” Plott said.

Captain Williams told News On 6 the key for officers to handle something like this is patience, teamwork and training.