A man fatally shot four family members users while they slept in their Duluth, Minnesota, dwelling this 7 days in advance of killing himself, law enforcement said Thursday.
Taylor Cole-Skogstad, 29, is suspected of killing his aunt and uncle, two younger cousins and a pet in advance of killing himself, Duluth Law enforcement Main Mike Tusken said at a information conference.
“Officers consider that this incident is a murder-suicide,” he said.
The bodies of Riana Lou Barry, 44 Sean Christopher Barry, 47 Shiway Elizabeth Barry, 12 and Sadie Lucille Barry, 9, had been found in the property Wednesday afternoon, Tusken said.
Cole-Skogstad was also located dead in the dwelling with a 9 mm gun shut to his system, he explained.
Tusken said it is believed the family members was killed overnight. The trigger of dying was decided to be “gunshot wounds although the victims have been sleeping,” Tusken explained.
“You just cannot unsee it, so it is very challenging,” he stated.
Just before officers arrived at the dwelling, Hermantown police attempted to do a welfare verify on Cole-Skogstad but have been not able to discover him, Tusken claimed.
A family members member advised Hermantown police that Cole-Skogstad experienced despatched a message stating he supposed to hurt himself and his spouse and children, Tusken reported. The information was believed to have been posted later on a public social media webpage, Duluth police mentioned.
Duluth police also got data that Cole-Skogstad experienced entry to a weapon.
Just after doing the job with Hermantown police, Duluth officers arrived at the dwelling at 12:29 p.m. Wednesday on a report that Cole-Skogstad was “going through a mental wellness disaster,” Tusken mentioned. Officers then heard a single gunshot, he claimed.
The premises were searched with robots and drones, and a tactical reaction crew went into the home and discovered the bodies all around 3 p.m., Tusken stated.
Neither Hermantown nor Duluth police experienced histories of any past calls indicating a sample of habits of concern relating to Cole-Skogstad, Duluth police explained.
The loved ones that were killed seemed appreciated a “very tight” unit, Tusken explained. Their pictures dotted the residence, which manufactured the ugly scene “even far more heartbreaking” for responding officers, he said.
Duluth City Council President Arik Forsman stated he knew Riana Barry and her daughter Shiway.
“Our hearts are shattered,” Forsman mentioned at the news convention Thursday.
“It’s really hard to place into words the disappointment I really feel as a councilor, a Duluthian and as a father,” he said.
Tim Stelloh contributed.