Father Shoots Wife, 12-Year-Old Son, Then Himself; 'Kill Me Now' Heard On 911 Call

A Massachusetts couple and their 12-year-old son have been found with gunshot wounds in what officials believe is a murder-suicide case.

The deceased family members were discovered after a 911 call was made from inside the family's residence in Andover. Police responded at 3:20 a.m. and forced their way through two doors before finding the bodies of Andrew Robinson, 56, his wife Linda Robinson, 55, and their son Sebastian Robinson.

Police believe Andrew killed his wife and son before turning the gun on himself, according to the New York Post.

"The incident appears to be a tragic case of domestic violence and murder-suicide. Andrew Robinson died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound," the Essex County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.

911 operators reportedly heard "things smashing" and a "male screaming in the background" during the call from the house.

"One of the statements was, 'Kill me now,' so be careful," dispatch then warned officers before the bodies were found.

The circumstances that spurred the murder-suicide were not immediately clear.

"Obviously, we know the how; we're trying to figure out the why right now, so we're going to need some time to figure that out," Andover Police Chief Patrick Keefe said during a news conference at the scene, as per the statement.

"There is no danger to the public, at all. This entire situation was contained within the address here," Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker said, according to the statement.

Tucker said individuals struggling with their mental health can always reach out for help.

"This is a very good time to remind folks that if they are suffering from any mental health issues, any type of depression — services are out there," Tucker said, as quoted by WCVB Channel 5 Boston.

The son, Sebastian, was reportedly a student at St. John's Prep, an all-boys Catholic school in Danvers.

The 6th-grader was described as a "gentle" and "wonderful young man" who played the cello and performed at several events at the school.

"Sebastian was a wonderful young man. He was kind and a gentle presence. He was well loved by his teachers — extraordinarily creative," Edward Hardiman, the school headmaster, said, as per the outlet. "As I've talked with his teachers this morning, the description that they continually offer is, he was a gentle soul."

School officials canceled classes Thursday and hosted a vigil at 5 p.m.

Tucker acknowledged the role of first responders in such incidents.

"We only need to look back at the last couple of weeks in Massachusetts, some of the difficult things that our first responders – our State Police detectives, our local detectives, local police officers, firefighters and EMS," he was quoted by the statement as saying. "These men and women do an extraordinary job under some very difficult circumstances."

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.