Just 18 months before he shot and killed his wife and three of his four young children before committing suicide, Oklahoma “dumb” father Jonathon Candy appeared on a local television segment to rave about a local deli.
Between Sunday night and Monday morning, Jonathon, 42, committed his heinous act, leaving his 10-year-old son alive to discover his mother Lindsay, 39, and his brothers Dylan, 18, Ethan, 14, and Lucas, 12, all murdered. in his house.
In a November 2022 interview with Discover Oklahoma, Jonathon talked about his love for Just Baked Bakery and Deli, just a six-minute drive from the family’s quiet community in the Oklahoma City suburbs.
“I come here twice a week in the morning just to have breakfast burritos, which are by far better than anything you can find here,” the father proudly declares before joking about his unusual last name.
‘I love carrot cake. I don’t eat a lot of sweets, not even with my last name. But I love carrot cake. His wife joins the conversation, declaring: ‘I like cannoli. The cannolis are good.
As of this writing, the clip has been removed from the Discover Oklahoma YouTube page.
During a brief interview that aired on local television, Jonathon and Lindsay Candy praised a local deli and bakery.
The clip came out about 18 months before Jonathon murdered his wife and three of his four children before turning the gun on himself.
On Monday morning, ‘(the 10-year-old) woke up and discovered what had happened,’ said Sgt. Gary Knight, describing the scene as “carnage.”
Knight said that after an argument with his wife, Jonathon armed himself with a gun and shot her before stalking other members of his family throughout the house, systematically shooting them to death. There was no evidence of a struggle.
The victims’ bodies were found in different areas of the house, and police said they found two bodies upstairs and two downstairs. One of the children had been shot in bed.
“Make no mistake, what occurred at that residence was nothing short of a massacre,” Knight said.
Neighbor Michael Burcham, 68, said The Oklahoman that Jonathon had previously confided in him that he struggled with depression.
Burcham also said that Jonathon regularly helped him fix his car or lawnmower and that the two regularly flew their drones together. He said Jonathon helped another neighbor at his house with practical work.
Burcham said that, as far as he knew, there were no problems between the suspect and his wife. The neighbor revealed that he knew Jonathon kept weapons in the house and stored food.
Lindsay Terry Candy and Jonathon Candy during a Florida vacation in 2023
Jonathon is believed to have killed his wife and sons Dylan, 18, Ethan, 14, and Lucas, 12.
Investigators believe the shooting began after an argument between the parents Sunday night or early Monday morning. Ethan Candy, left, and Dylan Candy, right, are seen here.
‘All day we just couldn’t imagine it. “He must have really been going through a tough time,” Burcham said.
His home is located within the limits of Oklahoma City; Two of the children, Ethan Lucas, were students in the local Mustang Public School District. Dylan Candy graduated from the district’s high school in 2023.
Knight said investigators believe the shooting began after an argument between the parents Sunday night or early Monday morning.
Knight said it is not known why the fourth child was spared or the motive for the shooting.
He said police had had no prior contact with the family, had not previously been called to their home and that there was no history of domestic violence in the family.
Knight said the 10-year-old boy was taken into the custody of relatives and was physically unharmed.
Knight said the boy told investigators he slept through the sound of gunshots and there is no reason to doubt him.
“He called 911 and said he just woke up and found the bodies,” Knight said. “The door (to her room) was closed and there was a fan running” that would also muffle the sound.
“There’s no indication that he didn’t sleep during the entire process,” Knight said.
The scene outside the Candy family house. Neighbor Brian Graham told KFOR: “No one expected it, it was very shocking.” You know, like I said, they were a big family.
“This was not a gas leak situation or a fentanyl type situation, there are five people who died,” said a local police officer.
Mustang Superintendent Charles Bradley wrote in a statement to parents: ‘We are shocked and our hearts are broken; This tragedy simply defies understanding.
‘While this has been a very difficult year for the MPS family, both students and adults may have difficulty managing their feelings and reactions to this news.
‘Our Crisis Response Team has been present in schools today and will continue to be there as long as necessary.
Neighbor Brian Graham said KFOR: ‘Nobody expected it, it was very shocking. You know, like I said, they were a big family.
‘They were good friends of ours. They came down all the time and we had meetings together.
‘We are really going to miss them. “We really wish this hadn’t happened,” he added.
Ethan’s baseball coach, TJ Armstrong, paid tribute to him and his family by calling them “beautiful” when he spoke with 9News. “Yesterday I hugged each of these children,” Armstrong added.
According to his LinkedIn page, Jonathon worked as a video engineer for a company called Cox Media. Police later revealed that he worked part-time at the Paycom Center, home of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
A team official confirmed that he worked as a “game night engineer.”
“There are no words to express how heartbroken I am knowing this unthinkable scene is happening to the beloved Candy family,” a family friend wrote on Facebook.
‘So meaningless. The few times I saw them they seemed like a typical American family,” wrote one commenter.
The family lived in a subdivision called Czech Hall Estates in Yukon, Oklahoma, where homes ranged from $211,000 to $365,000.