29 January 2024 , 10:37
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A man in his 80s shot and killed his wife and two adult children before turning the gun on himself in a horrific murder-suicide with only one survivor.
The survivor of the Granada Hills shooting is one of the man’s daughters who has special needs, friends of the family said. She was able to hide from her dad by barricading herself inside the house and calling 911 just before 7pm, summoning the police to their family home on Lerdo Avenue on Saturday.
No one answered the front door of the home after the police arrived, leaving officers to force their way inside the home where they encountered the lone survivor. She took them to the gruesome scene of what had happened.
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According to investigators, the man shot and killed his wife along with a daughter and son - both in their 40s - before he went into another room to take his own life. "I don't know how much more terrifying and horrific of a scene it can be when you have four persons that are deceased," said LAPD Capt. Kelly Muniz speaking on Saturday night at a press conference.
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Neighbours and friends left flowers at the scene after the tragic killing (abc7)"The only positive point is that you at least have one witness that has survived this incident,” she said. Police are still trying to ascertain the motive behind the murder-suicide with investigations still ongoing. The names of the victims and the suspected gunman have not been released, ABC7 reported.
Neighbours and friends of the family have been left traumatised and stunned, confused at what they believed was a totally normal family. Fernando Flores, who knew the family, said: "They seemed like a normal family. How could that happen? I heard about it last night, and I said I have to come by here and leave some flowers." Neighbour Alvin Shafer said: "It's pretty creepy. It's like a bad horror movie."
Fernando Flores said they seemed "like a normal family" (abc7)In a similar case in Massachusetts last month, Rakesh Kamal, 57, killed his wife Teena, 54, and daughter Arianna, 18, before turning the gun on himself in their $5 million (£4 million) mansion in Norfolk County. It is believed Kamal used a 40-calibre Glock 22 which he didn’t have a licence to own.
While no official motive was released by authorities for the murder-suicide, it was reported that Kamal was going through financial troubles at the time. The family struggled with money after their purchase of the 19,000-square-foot mansion with 11 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms in 2019. The house was sold for just $3 million (£2.3m) to Wilsondale Associates after it went into foreclosure last year.
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website. If in the United States, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to http://SuicidePreventionLifeline.org