A woman and three young children have died in an apparent murder-suicide in Virginia , but a fourth child was able to escape unharmed an...
A woman and three young children have died in an apparent murder-suicide in Virginia, but a fourth child was able to escape unharmed and call for help.
The Smyth County Sheriff’s Office said authorities discovered the bodies of a 27-year-old woman, a 10-year-old and three-year-old child after responding to a call at 6.15am on Friday in the 100 block of Harley Road in Marion, a small town in Virginia’s southwest.
Police said a six-year-old child was found in critical condition. The child was taken to Johnson City Medical Center and later died.
Deputies are seen working at the scene of a triple murder-suicide in Marion, Virginia, where a woman allegedly killed three young children and then herself on Friday
Officers responded to this trailer on Harley Road after getting reports of gunfire
An eight-year-old child 'escaped the scene' and ran to a neighbor for help, police said, reported WFXR-TV.
'A child had left the residence out in the Thomas Bridge section of Smyth County and had gone to the neighbors to report that something was going on at their house next door... that there was possibly gunfire,' Sheriff Chip Shuler told WCYB.
According to a preliminary investigation, the woman killed the three children before turning the gun on herself. Police said there are no other suspects.
Officials did not say what the woman’s relationship was to the children. The names of the deceased have not been made public pending notification of next of kin.
A 27-year-old woman and two children, aged three and 10 years old, were pronounced dead at the scene
A third child, aged six, was taken to a hospital and later died as a result of the suspected shooting
The surviving child is now said to be staying with family members.
Neighbors said they were dismayed by news of the tragedy involving members of their tight-knit community.
'They pretty much kept to themselves, but the kids were all the time playing in the yard,' said next-door neighbor Billy Campbell.
Another neighbor, Terry Hutton, said: 'I'm shocked. They seemed like good people to me... the kids and her. Just good people.'
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