Arkansas Murder-Suicide: Man Kills Wife, Her Child Before Shooting Self

A man allegedly fatally shot his wife and her child before turning the gun on himself Tuesday morning at their home in Arkansas.

The police, who responded to Bayou Vista Drive in Marion as part of a welfare check, were told by two juveniles that they heard gunshots coming from inside the house, Local Memphis reported.

Upon entering the house, the officers found the bodies of two adults and a child. The adult victims have been identified as Gabriel Brown and Nakina Gilmer-Brown. The child's identity has not been made public so far. It was not clear if the man was the child's father.

Two other children who lived in the house were able to escape before the shooting, WREG reported.

Charles Gilmer, a man who claimed to be one of the victims' uncle, said he was working when he got the call his niece and her son had been shot and killed.

“It’s devastating news. Something we can’t really fathom. We’re still trying to wrap our heads around it. Just don’t understand why,” he said, according to WREG.

Gilmer also said he helped raise his niece, adding the family had lived in their Marion home for less than a year.

“We’re real close and she had a name for me. She called me uncle elder because I’m an assistant pastor so she always called me uncle elder,” he said. “She was a caring person, a loving person and she believed in giving you all the opportunities to change. And I believe because of that she loved her husband dearly and she always desired to see the best of him and she just wanted the best for him.”

Authorities confirmed that the incident was a murder-suicide case and that an investigation was underway. The motive behind the tragedy also remains unknown.

Last month, a family of four was found dead inside their Ohio home. The bodies of Jeffrey Hull, 50, Heidi Hull, 46, Garrett Hull, 9, and Grant Hull, were found during a welfare check. The police said Jeffrey Hull shot his wife and two children before killing himself. The reason behind the killings was not revealed. A dog was also found in the home.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.