On December 18, 2023, 12-year-old Baynen Fitz was shot and killed at his home in Phoenix, Arizona, by his father, Bryan Fitz (age 53). Earlier that day, Bryan had gone to an auto shop near 27th Avenue and Deer Valley Road and shot and killed Baynen's mother, Sage Fitz (age 49), and her boss, Carmen Buscemi (age 62). Bryan then returned home, where he fatally shot Baynen and the family dog before taking his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot. Baynen was described as being on the autism spectrum with very limited vocabulary. The incident was characterized as a family murder-suicide, with marital issues as the apparent motive. Sage had recently told family members she planned to divorce Bryan, who was described by relatives and friends as controlling, jealous, and narcissistic. Bryan had become wheelchair-bound and disabled after a motorcycle accident years earlier. There was no prior involvement with the Department of Child Safety, and because all immediate family members died, no further services or reports were generated.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
The fatality report states the child "was discovered deceased at his home due to gunshot wounds to the head." The news articles confirm Bryan Fitz shot and killed Baynen. One news article also describes Bryan as "a gun guy."
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The fatality report states that "the Department determined his father, Bryan Fitz, inflicted the injuries to Baynen and caused his death" and that the child "was discovered deceased at his home due to gunshot wounds to the head." The news articles confirm Bryan shot and killed Baynen.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The fatality report states Bryan Fitz "shot and killed the child's mother at her place of employment before he was found deceased at home due to self-inflicted gunshot wounds." The news article headline explicitly describes this as a "murder-suicide" and reports that "Bryan came home and shot and killed Baynen and their family dog before turning the gun on himself."
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The fatality report explicitly identifies "his father, Bryan Fitz" as the person who "inflicted the injuries to Baynen and caused his death." The news articles also refer to Bryan as the child's father and Sage as the child's mother, confirming Bryan was the biological father.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
The news article quotes Sage's aunt: "He was on the autistic spectrum. Had very little vocabulary," referring to Baynen. This explicitly identifies a neurological developmental disability (autism) and associated communication limitations.
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The news articles describe a pattern of controlling and threatening behavior by Bryan Fitz toward Sage. The aunt reports Bryan saying "If I can't have you, then nobody can have you." She describes him as "very narcissistic, very controlling and very mean to Sage." The second news article states that "Buscemi's family and friends said Sage often expressed concerns about her marriage and described Bryan as controlling and jealous." While the term "domestic violence" is not used explicitly, these descriptions strongly imply a pattern of domestic violence.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The news article reports that Bryan Fitz "had a traumatic injury years ago that changed their lives and said he became concerningly controlling." The aunt describes him as "very narcissistic." A licensed psychologist, Dr. Petra Peper, characterized Bryan as a "family annihilator" with a "possessive 'you are my property' sort of mentality." While no formal mental health diagnosis is named, the description of significant personality and behavioral changes after a traumatic injury, along with the professional psychological characterization of his mindset, amount to references to his mental health.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several substantive details not addressed by the preceding questions are present. First, Bryan Fitz also killed a non-family member, Carmen Buscemi (Sage's boss at an auto shop), before returning home to kill Baynen. Second, according to the aunt Fran Rebello, Sage had told family at Thanksgiving that she was going to end her marriage: "She had promised us when she went home for Thanksgiving that she was going to get in touch with an attorney," and the family speculated that serving divorce papers may have been the triggering event. Third, Bryan also killed the family dog before turning the gun on himself. Fourth, Bryan was described as wheelchair-bound and disabled following a motorcycle accident years ago, which family members said changed his personality and led to his controlling behavior. The fatality report also notes that "Due to the death of all members of this family, there were no subsequent reports of abuse or neglect or services provided," underscoring that all immediate family members perished in this incident.
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