Investigators in West Valley City, Utah, suspect a man shot and killed his wife and three children before taking his own life in a tragic incident discovered earlier this week, police said Wednesday.
A 17-year-old boy, believed to be the couple’s eldest son, miraculously survived the shooting despite suffering a gunshot wound to the head. He remains in critical condition, according to police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku. AP News.
“That’s our initial determination, that the father probably shot all the family members and then himself,” Vainuku said during a news conference. However, he emphasized that ballistics and additional evidence are needed to confirm this theory.
Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims, pending notification of next of kin. Among the deceased is a 42-year-old man. father, 38-year-old mother, an 11-year-old son and two daughters, 9 and 2 years old.
The grim discovery was made on Tuesday when a concerned family member, unable to contact the family, went to check on them. The family member found the 17-year-old son injured in the garage and immediately called the police.
Upon arrival, officers discovered the mother and two young daughters dead in an upstairs bedroom, while the father and 11-year-old son were found in the living room. A gun was recovered from under the father’s body, Vainuku said.
Investigators believe the shooting occurred sometime over the weekend. Autopsies will determine the official cause and time of death, potentially providing additional details about the tragedy.
The 17-year-old survivor is believed to have headed to the garage after being shot. “He suffered a serious brain injury and is unable to communicate with the police.” Vainuku explained.
The concerned relative had reportedly been in regular contact with the victims, but became alarmed when communication was suddenly cut off. In particular, the police confirmed that there was no history of domestic violence in the home, no suicide note foundand investigators currently do not know why.
“We know people want to know why. We want to know why. But the truth is, we may never know,” Vainuku said. “We don’t have any information why this happened; “We have no history with this family.”
The devastating incident has left the community struggling for answers and grieving the loss of an entire family. Authorities continue to investigate the tragedy as they hope to piece together what led to this heartbreaking outcome.