Police are investigating the deaths of five people in Honolulu, Hawaii — including three children ages 10, 12 and 17 — as an apparent murder-suicide.
The incident happened on Sunday morning local time AP.
Police discovered the bodies of three unidentified children, a wife and a husband at the home shortly after 9:00 a.m. All five family members were pronounced dead at the scene, according to reports AP and NBC news.
The Honolulu Police Department said the office received an anonymous call around 8:30 a.m. and an officer arrived at the scene.
Per NBC News, Honolulu Police Lt. Deena Thoemme said at a news conference Sunday that the first responding officer “didn’t have enough information to enter the apartment” when he first visited the scene.
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Officers entered the home after receiving a second call about an alleged domestic dispute.
“Based on the evidence found at the scene and the investigation so far, it appears that the adult male killed the female and juveniles with a knife that was found at the scene. The motive is still under investigation,” Thoemmes said.
“It doesn’t appear to be a random act,” she added, noting that police are interviewing and reviewing security camera footage while the investigation continues and that they don’t yet have a clear motive.
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Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi also made a statement about the case, to a local station News from Hawaii now that he is “heartbroken by the tragic incident that occurred early this morning in the quiet neighborhood of Manoa taking the lives of an entire family, including three precious children.”
“This inexplicable tragedy has deeply shaken our community,” he added.
According to police, this is the deadliest mass killing in Honolulu since seven people were killed in the Xerox shootings on Nov. 2, 1999 — the worst mass shooting in the state to date.
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Although police have yet to name the victims or the husband, some neighbors have come forward, telling KITV they believe one of the children attended a nearby elementary school and that the father was a local chiropractor.
Police now say they are awaiting a report from the medical examiner’s office before releasing the names of the family, po NBC news.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line by dialing 988, texting “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Line at 741741 or going to 988lifeline.org.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education