A California family of four is dead after a man shot and killed his wife and two adult children before committing suicide, police said.
Modesto police were alerted to the New Year's Day incident when a man called 911 and said he killed his family, The Modesto Bee reported. The suspected shooter, identified as 57-year-old Stephen Mingham, then called his brother and said "he had killed his family and he was going to kill himself," an unnamed family member told the newspaper.
Police arrived at the Modesto home to find Mingham, wife Janet and their son Chad dead. A fourth family member, the couple's daughter Nicole, was found alive and underwent surgery at a hospital but died from her injuries, Modesto police spokeswoman Heather Graves told The Modesto Bee.
Public records show Stephen and Janet Mingham lived with their 33-year-old son Chad and 34-year-old daughter Nicole at the home on Sharilyn Drive. The mother was a secretary for the principal of Modesto's Roosevelt Junior High.
"We are shocked and devastated by this horrific incident," school district superintendent Pam Able said, according to the newspaper. "Jan was a longtime Modesto City Schools employee and was beloved by Roosevelt staff and students."
As of Friday a motive for the murder-suicide is not yet known. The family of four were all home when the incident occurred, accord to the family member.
"They were just a normal family who lived their everyday lives," the relative told The Modesto Bee.
Residents were also shocked to learn about the shooting that left a wife and her children killed and the suspected shooter dead.
"Neighbors didn't have any indication anything was wrong," Modesto Police Sgt. Mark Weiglein told the newspaper.
