Additional Coverage:
- ‘A heavy heart’: Police believe Utah father shot himself, wife and couple’s 4 children (newsbreak.com)
Tragedy in Utah: Family Murder-Suicide
Police in Utah are investigating a murder-suicide in which a father allegedly killed his wife, three children, and himself. The lone survivor, the 17-year-old son, is in critical condition with a brain injury.
The bodies were discovered in a home in West Valley City on Tuesday after the mother failed to report to work. A concerned relative found the injured son in the garage and alerted police.
Inside the house, police found the bodies of the mother and two daughters, aged 9 and 2, in an upstairs bedroom. The father’s and 11-year-old son’s bodies were in the living room. A handgun was found under the father’s body, believed to be the murder weapon.
The victims suffered gunshot wounds, and ballistic testing will determine if the gun found was used in the crime. The motive for the killings remains unknown, as no note was found and there is no record of domestic violence at the residence.
The injured son managed to escape the home to the garage despite his severe head wound. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.
The community is mourning the loss of the family and offering support to first responders. The investigation into the tragedy continues.