Family Of 5 Jumps Off Apartment Building In Mass Suicide Over Conspiracy Theories

A French family that lived "withdrawn from society" and was gripped by conspiracy theories jumped from their seventh-floor apartment this week after police visited the home, authorities said.

The family of five, who lived in the Swiss town of Montreux, "jumped from the balcony one after the other" at around 7 p.m. Thursday, France24 reported, citing Vaud district's police.

Four from the group — identified as Eric David, 40, his wife Nasrine Feraoun, 41, the couple's unnamed 8-year-old daughter, as well as Feraoun's twin sister, Narjisse Feraoun — died as a result of the 25-meter (82 feet) plunge, according to French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.

David and Nasrine's 15-year-old son, Allan, survived the ordeal. He was reportedly in a coma and in stable condition at a hospital.

Two police officers had knocked on the family's apartment door at 6:15 p.m. on the day of the incident as they wanted to speak with David about his son's home-schooling arrangement, investigators said.

A voice allegedly asked who was at the door but said nothing further.

The family later jumped from the balcony after the officers left.

Police detected no trace of a struggle. A step ladder was found on the balcony.

The family was described by police as "withdrawn from society" and reportedly lived in virtual self-sufficiency after they amassed a well-organized stockpile of various food, which enabled them to see out a major crisis.

"Since the start of the pandemic, the family was very interested in conspiracy theories and survivalist theories," authorities said.

They were "obsessed" with COVID-19 conspiracy theories, according to the Daily Mail.

Only Narjisse worked outside the home. Neither Nasrine nor her daughter, who did not attend school, was registered with local authorities.

"All these elements suggest... fear of the authorities interfering in their lives," police said in a statement.

Police and prosecutors are now working on the theory of "collective suicide," according to the report.

David reportedly grew up in a wealthy part of the French city of Marseille and attended the Ecole Polytechnique, one of the most prestigious schools in the country.

Meanwhile, Nasrine and Narjisse, a dentist and ophthalmologist, respectively, went to the elite Lycee Henri-IV in Paris.

The twins were the granddaughters of Algerian novelist Mouloud Feraoun, according to Le Journal du Dimanche.

Switzerland has reported 3,452,057 COVID-19 cases and 12,979 virus-related deaths, according to data provided by the World Health Organization.

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.