A Massachusetts family was found dead in what is believed to have been a murder-suicide.
The family of five was identified as Joseph Zaccardi, 43, his wife, Deirdre, 40, and their children, 11-year-old Alexis and 9-year-old twins Nathaniel and Kathryn.
All died of gunshot wounds and were found early Monday, authorities said in a press release.
A relative reportedly showed up to take the kids to school around 7:30 a.m., and discovered one of the bodies and called police.
Police then found four others upon arrival.
“This appears to be an isolated incident,” Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz said in a press release Monday. “There is no current threat to public safety.”
Joseph was reportedly a children’s book author and described himself as “unemployed and going crazy” on his Facebook page.
Deirdre was an office manager at a consulting firm, EMI Strategic Marketing, in Boston.
The president of the company, Campbell Edlund, referred to Deirdre as a “lovely person, trusted employee and valued friend,” in a statement to the Boston Globe.
Their three children attended Abington Public Schools, and Superintendent Peter Schafer called the deaths an “unexpected and unexplainably tragic loss.”
“Their presence touched so many lives and there are no words to express the sadness we feel,” Schafer said in part.
RELATED STORIES
Father Kills 2 Young Children in Murder-Suicide
Married Teachers Found Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide
Girl, 4, Escapes Murder-Suicide That Claimed Her 6-Year-Old Brother and Grandma's Lives