A West Whiteland family — a mother, father and two minors — were found dead Sunday in what authorities are calling a murder-suicide.
The Chester County Coroner’s Office confirmed the cause of death of all four was by gunshot wound.
The Times is not publishing the name of the family members to protect their privacy.
“This is a tragedy beyond comprehension because two children and both their parents are dead,” Deb Ryan, Chester County DA, said. “These were members of our community. We will do everything in our power to learn why this horrific incident happened and urge anyone who needs support to contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255. My sympathy goes out to the family for their unimaginable loss.”
West Whiteland Township Police were called to the family home after out-of-state family members could not reach the family for several days. Police used a garage door opener from one of the family’s vehicles to enter the residence, where they found two adults and two children dead in the basement.
“We are doing a thorough investigation into the events that led up to the awful tragedy…” West Whiteland Police Chief Lee Benson said. “While residents may be feeling uneasy in light of this event, I assure everyone that community safety is our number one priority.”
Chester County Coroner Christina VandePol said Monday a preliminary investigation showed that gunshot wounds were the cause of death, pending autopsies.
“This terrible tragedy has annihilated a family,” VandePol said. “We extend our deepest sympathy to their extended family, friends, and neighbors. We know there are many questions about what happened. Further information on the cause and manner of death will be released when we have completed our investigations.”
Anyone with further information concerning this investigation is asked to call West Whiteland Police at 610-692-5100.
