Murder-suicide suspected in deaths of 5 Ohio family members

ELYRIA, Ohio (AP) — The deaths of five family members found Wednesday inside a home outside Cleveland appear to have resulted from a murder-suicide, police in Ohio said Thursday.

Forty-four-year-old John Nelson, of Elyria, is suspected of shooting his wife, Robin Nelson, 35, and their three children — Gavin, 12; Brianna, 10; and Liam, 6 — before shooting himself, Elyria Police Capt. William Pelko said in a release.

Detectives and the Lorain County coroner’s office continue to investigate.

Elyria police discovered the family’s bodies Wednesday morning while making a check on their welfare. Elyria sits roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of downtown Cleveland in Lorain County.

A neighbor told The Elyria Chronicle Telegram she thought she heard fireworks at the home Tuesday and the sound of children screaming. She said she thought the children were headed to the family’s backyard pool but never saw them get in it.