A man in his 80s is believed to have fatally shot an elderly woman inside a nursing home Saturday before killing himself, a Rochester police official said.

Capt. Frank Umbrino described the woman as the man’s lifelong partner and in declining health.

Investigators say it appears the man brought a handgun when he visited her at the Rochester nursing home around 10 a.m. Saturday. Nursing home staff responding to the sound of shots found the man and woman dead.

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The woman, also in her 80s, had been a resident of the Wesley Gardens nursing home and rehabilitation facility for at least a couple of weeks, Umbrino said during a media briefing.

“From what we are gathering, her partner was having a very difficult time dealing with her deteriorating condition,” Umbrino said.

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Police did not immediately release the names of those involved while contacting their relatives.