Police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide in Pierce County, Washington.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department rushed to a man’s home on Tuesday, March 12 after receiving a 911 call.
During the call, the man said he had killed his wife and two children.
“He thanked us for our time, but said by the time we got there he would be deceased as well,” says Sheriff Department spokesman Ed Troyer to KIRO 7. “He followed through with that.”
When SWAT officers arrived at the home, they tried to talk the man out of the building, but didn’t receive a response.
When they entered the house they found the bodies of a 2-year-old boy, 4-year-old girl and a 33-year-old woman, all in their beds with gunshot wounds.
A 29 year old man was found dead with a handgun near his body.
Triple homicide-suicide in the 5700 block of 209th ST E. Deceased are two toddlers under 5 years old and their mother. Suspect is father who committed suicide after calling 911 and stating he was responsible for homicides. Transitioning from SWAT operations to investigations.
— Pierce Co Sheriff (@PierceSheriff) March 13, 2018
Events are unclear
The family was originally from New Hampshire, however the man had been in the Air Force and was stationed at Joint Base Leweis-McChord in Washington.
Investigators aren’t sure what lead up to the tragic deaths, but local police say they’d never been called to the address before.
Photos from location of this mornings triple homicide & suicide in Frederickson area. #PCSD detectives & forensics continuing to process the scene. pic.twitter.com/PkxqODbqN2
— Pierce Co Sheriff (@PierceSheriff) March 13, 2018
“It’s very sombre when there’s two toddlers who are dead through no fault of their own,” Ed Troyer tells The Seattle Times, and continues:
“Hopefully we can figure out what happened so maybe we can prevent it happeneing again.”
Ed Troyer says that investigators will be working with officials at the base to try and establish a motive.
This is just tragic. Our hearts go out to these poor children, mother and the family and friends of the victims.
