Tuesday, April 23rd 2024, 9:36 am
Oklahoma City police have identified the five people who were found dead in a home on Monday, including two children, in a southwest Oklahoma City home.
Police say officers made the discovery during a welfare check at 9:35 a.m. on Monday.
Investigators say it is believed that the suspect, Jonathon Candy, 42, armed himself with a gun and killed his wife, Lindsay, 39, and three of their children, ages 12, 14, and 18, before turning the gun on himself.
A fourth child in the residence was unharmed and was released to family members at the scene.
News 9 has learned two children attended Mustang Public Schools. Another victim graduated from Mustang last year, according to a letter sent to parents from the Mustang Public School district.
Police say the home is located in the Czech Hall Estates neighborhood near Southwest 29th Street and Czech Hall Road.
“When officers arrived, they made entry into the home and indeed found five people in there who were deceased,” said Sgt. Gary Knight, Oklahoma City Police Department. “The five people had injuries all consistent with homicide.”
More officers arrived on the scene and roped off the entire neighborhood, allowing only those who lived there to enter. With the number of victims, police dispelled any assumptions of a cause.
“This wasn't a gas leak situation or a fentanyl-type situation; these are five people who were killed,” Sgt. Knight said.
Police say among the dead are at least two children, all having injuries consistent with homicide.
“We're talking about children being inside this home and being victims of this,” said Sgt. Knight. "It's a very tragic, very sad situation."
Crime scene investigators arrived, and police say they expect them to work into the night processing the scene inside the home.
Mustang Public Schools released the following letter to parents Monday afternoon:
"MPS Families,
It is with a very heavy heart that I share some very sad news with all of you today. Earlier today, we confirmed that a tragedy occurred at a home within our District, and we can now confirm the deaths of two of our students (a 6th-grade student attending Meadow Brook Intermediate and a 9th-grade student attending Mustang High School) along with a recent (2023) MPS graduate.
We are shocked, and our hearts are broken; this tragedy simply defies understanding. While this has been a very difficult year for the MPS Family, both students and adults may struggle with managing their feelings and reactions to this news. Our Crisis Response Team has been present at schools today and will continue to be in place moving forward for as long as they are needed.
Even if your child did not know the student(s)/family, they may be impacted by this sad news. Feelings of anger, hurt, guilt, and sadness are natural. Common grief reactions include sleep disturbances, temporary loss of appetite, anxiety, and fears about the health and safety of friends and family. Some suggestions for dealing with your child’s questions and concerns include:
Listen to your children and let them know that you are available to answer questions and be there for them at any time.
Encourage your children to express their feelings and talk about your own feelings.
Talk to your children about your beliefs regarding death and loss.
Monitor your children in case they exhibit any significant changes in behavior or mood over the next few weeks (e.g., loss of appetite, difficulties sleeping, heightened sadness). If you notice something, talk to them about it, as it could be a sign that they are struggling.
This website (https://grievingstudents.org/) provides resources to help with these difficult conversations; in addition, the MPS website at https://bit.ly/MPSmhresources also has many links to resources in our area.
As the greater Mustang school community processes this news, we would like you to know that students of Mustang Public Schools have access to counseling support. To utilize these services, students/families should simply contact their school counselor or administrator. We are here to help and partner with you. This is a difficult time for everyone, but I know our students and staff will lean on each other through this time."
A GoFundMe has been set up for the surviving child; CLICK HERE for more information.
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