Three small children and their father were reportedly killed in a suspected murder-suicide in New Zealand.
A dad and three children, ages 1, 5, and 7, died on Saturday, Nov. 15, at a property in Sanson, north of Wellington, according to a news release from New Zealand Police. Around 2:30 p.m. local time, emergency services were called to the premises due to a home fire.
While the incident is being examined as an alleged murder-suicide, authorities did not clarify whether the case had been classified as homicide during a press conference, according to The New Zealand Herald and RNZ.
According to The New Zealand Herald, Manawatū Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham stated that the guy died at the site, despite not having burn injuries.
According to a news release from New Zealand Police, the circumstances of the occurrence “remain under investigation.” “The house was severely damaged, however Police are not seeking anyone else in relation to the incident,” their statement read.
The bodies of the man and two of the children were discovered on Sunday, and police stated that “family was also present to bless them with karakia.” The third child’s body was found on Sunday.
“We need to do the right thing for these kids, and we must follow appropriate procedure. According to the announcement, Grantham stated that the inquiry must be completed properly, which will take time.
“We can say that the young victims of this tragedy are aged 1, 5, and 7 years old, but until formal identification has been carried out, we are not in a position to name them, or the adult,” he told reporters. “At this early stage, we are still working to determine why this incident unfolded and why three innocent young children lost their lives.”
“We know the community have a lot a questions about this case, as do we, but at this stage we are still working to determine the intent and circumstances around this incident,” the officer said.
Grantham also told The New Zealand Herald, “It’s incomprehensible the anguish and suffering that this family is going through. It is wonderful for the community to support them. It would be fantastic if we could all support them, just give them some time to grow and get over it.”
Autopsies are scheduled to take place this week, according to the announcement.
Neighbor Alan Parker told The New Zealand Herald, “Our thoughts are with the individuals who will have to cope with this in the future, who are both families… We’ll have to wait for more information, but I believe it’s very evident to everyone what happened, which is something extremely dark and terrible.”
The three youngsters were identified as August, Hugo, and Goldie on a Givealittle page, according to The New Zealand Herald. So far, the website has raised approximately $139,000 (almost $247,000 in New Zealand dollars) to help the children’s mother, Chelsey.
PEOPLE have called New Zealand Police for more information.
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