Five members of a family, including three young boys, have died and another boy was hospitalized with injuries in an apparent murder-suicide in California.
Police received a 911 call early Saturday in which dispatchers heard the sound of arguing in the background, Lt. Matt Dobbs said. As officers headed to the house in the Paradise Hills neighborhood in southeastern San Diego, a relative who lives next door called 911 and reported hearing arguing and what sounded like a nail gun being fired.
Dobbs said when officers arrived, they found a 3-year-old boy, a 29-year-old woman, and a 31-year-old man dead inside. A 5-year-old boy and 9-year-old boy were taken to the hospital where they were pronounced dead.
An 11-year-old boy was also taken to the hospital to undergo surgery. His condition has not been released.
A gun was found in the house. Investigators didn’t say which family member fired the shots but believes that person is now dead.
Dobbs said a mother and four children lived in a unit next to a main house occupied by other family members.
Neighbors told the San Diego Union-Tribune they often saw the boys outside playing with their dog or riding their bicycles.
“They were just living the kid’s life on the outside, but who knows what goes on behind closed doors,” said neighbor Gabriel Durazo.
