On Wednesday, Rhode Island police announced that the case of two children found dead last week alongside their father and pregnant mother was a murder-suicide.
The Providence Journal reported that Nicholas Arruda, 39, fatally shot his wife, Danielle Arruda, 39, and their daughter and son, Adele and Felex, 5 and 2. Danielle Arruda was seven months pregnant at the time of the shooting, which happened sometime between New Year’s Day and January 2.
The grisly discovery was made last Friday, after a co-worker of Danielle Arruda’s called the police because she missed several days of work. Boston.com reported that police forced entry into the West Greenwich home and found the four bodies next to an M4-type semi-automatic weapon.
West Greenwich Police Chief Richard Ramsay revealed that Danielle Arruda and her two children were shot several times with a semi-automatic firearm. Nicholas Arruda died from a single, self-inflicted gunshot to the head, suggesting he was the gunman, according to Boston.com.
Police also noted that the only door accessible from the outside was locked from the inside, indicating their deaths were not the result of a break-in. A motive remains undisclosed.
Ramsey said two other guns were discovered in the home. Both were purchased legally.
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