LePage addresses domestic violence

AUGUSTA — Physically abused by his father as a boy, Maine Gov. Paul LePage used his weekly radio address to refocus attention on domestic violence following two recent shootings in Maine.

One involved a man who killed his girlfriend before taking his life. The other involved a woman charged with killing her boyfriend before a failed attempt on her own life.

LePage says this year’s Domestic Violence Report reveals a record number of perpetrators committing suicide after killing loved ones. The report says 70 percent of offenders had a history of suicide threats or attempts and that in two-thirds of those cases perpetrators killed one or more family members before committing suicide.

He says it’s important for people to take suicide threats seriously and to discuss with law enforcement or health professionals access to firearms.