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San Francisco’s former deputy police chief and her husband had a turbulent marriage before he shot her and their daughter dead, a close family friend told the California Post.
Ann Mannix, 65, and Katie, 24, were killed by Kevin Mannix, 68, at their Marin County home Sunday evening, before he turned the gun on himself.
A close family friend who had known Ann for more than 60 years said the former top cop had revealed to her that there were difficulties in her marriage.
“We talked about her relationship with her husband,” the friend said. “It wasn’t great.” But as far as the friend knew, Ann and Kevin were not estranged.
The friend said she never imagined their lives would end this way. “I can’t imagine having that happen or doing that. So it caught me by surprise.”
She remembered Ann as a devoted mother who hoped to become a grandmother soon. “She was a wonderful mother. She had high hopes of being a grandmother soon,” the friend said. “You know, she was a friend to everybody.”
The two met when they were five and lived across the street from each other in San Francisco’s Richmond District.
“We were best friends. We were playmates. We learned everything together,” she said.
Their friendship endured across decades and states. They spoke about twice a week, and Ann last visited the friend in the summer.
“We went to dinner. We have a pool, so we swam. We just hung out and just kind of spent time together,” she recalled.
She described Ann as caring, smart and strong, with a sense of humor and athletic ability that stood out from childhood.
“She was super athletic. She always did everything better than me growing up. She was funny, you know. She was very civic-minded.”
Katie, who was also killed, was studying to become a nurse. She shared her mother’s desire to help others, the friend said. “Katie was fun, silly, the life of the party.”
Deputies were dispatched to the home on Strawberry Circle after a 5:03 p.m. call reporting gunfire, according to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office. The residence is in Strawberry, an unincorporated community east of Mill Valley.
Officers arrived within minutes and contacted the caller, who had safely left the home. They secured the perimeter before entering and discovering three people dead inside.
Detectives continued investigating at the scene Sunday night. “There is no known threat to the community,” the sheriff’s office said.
San Francisco Police Chief Derrick Lew notified department personnel of the deaths Sunday night, writing that he was sharing the news “with heavy hearts.”
“Please keep their family in your prayers. BSU is available to all members who may need it during this difficult time,” he wrote, referring to the department’s behavioral science unit.
Ann built a groundbreaking career in the San Francisco Police Department, becoming the first woman to join its SWAT team and later the first woman to lead it.
She rose to deputy chief of the Field Operations Bureau in 2018 and took charge of the Special Operations Bureau the following year, according to department records.
Kevin retired from the department in June 2018 after 27 years of service.
In a farewell letter published by Taraval Station the following month, he reflected on the relationships he had formed during his career and his plans to spend more time with family and friends.
“I leave the SFPD, but I am taking your friendships with me forever,” he wrote.
The San Francisco Police Officers Association mourned the family in a statement following the shooting.
“The tragic loss of retired Deputy Chief Ann Mannix, her daughter Katie, and retired Sergeant Kevin Mannix in a suspected murder-suicide has left our entire SFPD family reeling,” the union said.
“There are no words that can fully capture the depth of this tragedy, nor are there simple answers to the painful questions we are all asking.”
The association praised Ann as a trailblazer and acknowledged the officers who had worked alongside Kevin during his decades on the force.
“To see their lives, and the life of their 24-year-old daughter Katie, end in such a horrific and senseless manner is a burden that weighs heavily on every officer, active and retired,” the statement said.
Ann’s close family friend said her loss would continue to be deeply felt.
“She was just a wonderful, wonderful person, and she will be deeply missed by many.”