A quiet Los Angeles-area neighborhood was overcome with grief after a father and his 10-year-old twin sons were found dead in what authorities believe was a triple murder-suicide.
According to the New York Post, police were called Sunday evening to a home on Owensmouth Avenue in the Canoga Park neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley, where the tragic discovery unfolded.
When officers arrived around 7:15 p.m., they encountered distraught relatives gathered outside the residence.
Images from the scene captured the raw emotion of the moment. One woman, whose identity has not been released, was seen collapsing into the arms of a man as she cried outside the home.
Authorities believe the father fatally shot his twin sons before taking his own life.
The deaths shocked neighbors and community members, many of whom struggled to comprehend the loss.
“That’s just really sad. Two little kids and a dad. That’s a family. Nobody deserves that,” one woman told ABC7 Eyewitness News while standing near the scene.
She said she and others felt compelled to offer prayers for the family despite not knowing them personally.
“I felt like, even though we might not see their family, we thought that they needed some prayer and some thought, because, like, I don’t know, I know me personally, whether I know them or not, I would want to pray for someone’s healing and just overall as a person, because that’s really sad and I don’t wish that upon anybody.”
Another resident, identified by KTLA as CC Pelkey, expressed heartbreak over the deaths.
“My heart is breaking for this family because this is tragic. This should never happen to anybody,” Pelkey said.
“The kids never had a chance to have a life, and I don’t know why the father, if he did have issues, couldn’t have gotten help. Why? To take his children’s lives and his own life. It’s just, there are no words right now.”
Investigators remained at the property for hours following the discovery.
Evidence was removed from the home as detectives worked to piece together what happened and determine the sequence of events leading up to the deaths.
The residence sits across from Lanark Park, where police activity drew the attention of families and visitors throughout the day.
Reports indicated the shooting may have occurred during a family gathering.
As word of the tragedy spread, loved ones and neighbors continued arriving at the scene, many searching for answers and struggling to process the devastating loss of two young boys and their father.
Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the deaths as the investigation continues.
