Five people were found shot to death inside their central Virginia home on Monday in what police say is a possible murder-suicide.
The five family members, including three children and two adults, were found dead by two relatives inside their home in Culpeper on Sunday night, NBC Washington reported.
Concern for the family's wellbeing grew when they did not show up for church earlier that day. The mother and cousin of one of the victims arrived at the home to find the door locked and had to gain entrance through a window.
Inside, they found the victims- 35-year-old Clarence Washington, his 35-year-old wife Shauna Washington and their three daughters, 4-year-old Olivia, Onya, 6, and 13-year-old Omesha.
A gun was recovered from the home after Culpeper County officers were called to the scene at around 10 p.m.
Detective Angela Deavers of the Culpeper County Sheriff's office said they are investigating the incident as a murder-suicide, CBS DC reported.
"This is definitely a shock to the community, for sure," Culpeper Mayor Michael Olinger told CBS DC. "Very seldom do we have a murder in Culpeper or any kind of activity such as this."
Family members told NBC Washington they strongly believe Clarence Washington is responsible. Nicole Minor-Melvin, Shauna Washington's cousin, said the couple had issues because Shauna wanted to end the marriage but Clarence did not.
But the cousin also said she never dreamed something like this would happen. Clarence was a good man who worked two jobs, the family told NBC Washington.
Residents of the quiet town of 15,000 people also expressed shock over the murders.
"I never would have suspected this," Reggie Massie, who lives two doors down and recently attended a party at the victims' home, told CBS DC. "Culpeper is the last place you'd imagine this. Everybody here is family."
