A 10-year-old boy awoke to find his parents and three brothers dead in their Oklahoma City home, all fatally shot by his father, police said on Tuesday.
On Monday morning, “(The boy) woke up and discovered what had happened,” said Sgt Gary Knight, describing the scene as “carnage”.
“Make no mistake about it, what happened in that residence was nothing short of a massacre,” Mr Knight said.
Police believe Jonathan Candy, 42, killed his wife, 39-year-old Lindsay Candy, and sons Dylan Candy, 18, Ethan Candy, 14, and 12-year-old Lucas Candy, Mr Knight said. He said Jonathan Candy then turned the gun on himself.
Mr Knight said investigators believe the shooting began after an argument between the parents late on Sunday night or early Monday morning.
“At some point he (Jonathan Candy) armed himself with a gun, he shot her multiple times, killing her,” Mr Knight said. “At that point he systematically went through the home shooting and killing the children.”
Mr Knight said it is not known why the fourth child was spared or a motive for the shootings.
He said police had no previous contact with the family, had not previously been called to their home and that there was no history of domestic violence in the family.
Mr Knight said the 10-year-old was placed in the custody of relatives and was physically unharmed.
He said the boy told investigators that he slept through the sound of the gunfire, and that there is no reason to doubt him.
“He called 911 and said he had just woke up and found the bodies,” Mr Knight said. “The door (to his room) was closed and there was a box fan running” that would also muffle the sound.
“There is no indication he didn’t sleep through it,” Mr Knight said.