Man kills his wife and 3 children in North Carolina murder-suicide, officials say

A person with a historical past of psychological sickness opened fireplace inside his North Carolina residence, killing his spouse and three kids earlier than after which himself, police stated Monday.

Robert J. Crayton Jr., 45, fatally shot Athalia A. Crayton, 46, Kasin Crayton, 18, and two different kids, who have been 16 and 10, on Saturday morning, Excessive Level police stated.

“In my 27, pushing 28, years on this police division, we have by no means had something like this occur earlier than,” Excessive Level police chief Travis Stroud stated. “Clearly an impression case for us as a police division (and) as a metropolis.”

Two individuals, 25 and 22, who have been in the home fled shortly after 7 a.m. and began banging on neighbors’ doorways pleading for assist, police stated.

A kind of adults was a “direct relation, and the opposite was an acquaintance,” Excessive Level police Lt. Patrick Welsh stated.

The motive for the capturing was unclear Monday afternoon.

“That is going to be a bit of the investigation. I’ve expressed this to the household, we might by no means know why — what goes by means of the hearts and minds of an individual who would do that generally dies with him,” Welsh stated. “We haven’t any indication proper as to the ‘why.’ ”

The crime scene was significantly grotesque, and Stroud stated he worries about his officers who that day might “see what you’ll be able to’t unsee.”

“Now we have to observe our personal officers now. This was a heavy-duty crimes scene,” the chief stated. “Now we have to be careful for our personal officers and their very own psychological well being and the way they push by means of this incident.”

Excessive Level cops had responded to the tackle of Saturday’s capturing 5 different occasions since 2014, officers stated. 

The shooter was the goal of a Jan. 3, 2022, involuntary dedication, officers stated, although police are nonetheless searching for extra details about that case.

“He was affected by some psychological sickness,” Welsh stated. “I can not communicate to the rationale beneath the involuntary dedication. However we do imagine it was taken out by the household.”

Saturday’s murder-suicide in North Carolina got here three days after authorities stated a Utah man gunned down seven members of his household earlier than killing himself.

For those who or somebody you realize is in disaster, name 988 to succeed in the Suicide and Disaster Lifeline. You can even name the community, beforehand often known as the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, textual content HOME to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/assets for added assets.