A 10-year-old boy in Oklahoma called the police after waking up one morning to find that his entire family was dead.
The call came in at 9:35AM from the residence at 2804 Mirage Street, where authorities rushed to respond. Upon arrival, officers found the 10-year-old waiting outside, per NBC24.
Inside the home, they discovered a scene of utter devastation. Five members of the Candy family—mom Lindsay Candy, 39; dad Jonathon Candy, 42; and three siblings, 18-year-old Dylan, 14-year-old Ethan, and 12-year-old Lucas—had been brutally shot to death.
Sergeant Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police described the grim discovery in a press conference, stating: "All five had been shot to death."
Police revealed that the shooting unfolded after Jonathon "became involved in an altercation" with his wife, leading to her death.
Subsequently, he systematically proceeded through the home, turning the gun on each of his children, except the 10-year-old boy.
While investigators continue to delve into the motive behind the murders, they suspect Jonathon meticulously targeted his family.
"Make no mistake. What happened in that residence was nothing short of a massacre," said Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Gary Knight during an April 23 press briefing, as reported by Fox News. "The children were hunted down and killed."
Jonathon then reportedly turned the gun on himself.
Authorities reiterated that they had never received distress calls from the Candy family's residence prior to the tragedy and had no documented history of domestic abuse reports.
Sgt Knight addressed the perplexing question of why the young boy had been spared, stating: "We don't know why he was left unharmed. It's a question we have too. In the end, nobody's ever going to know the answer to that."
In the wake of the devastating loss, the Candy family released a statement expressing their profound shock and grief. "Our entire family has been left shattered and confused with so many questions we won’t ever have answers to," the statement read. "Please, hug your family tight. It’s going to be a very long healing process for everyone affected."
Less than two years before the murders, the family appeared on a TV interview for Discover Oklahoma, per People.
The episode, aired on November 26, 2022, captured the Candys enjoying their time as regular patrons of a local bakery and deli in Yukon, Oklahoma, as the show showcased the establishment's offerings.
"I come here twice a week in the morning just for their breakfast burritos, which are by far anything better than you can get around here," Jonathan remarked in the video, with Lindsay nodding in agreement. "I love it ‘cause I can eat a big burrito, and then I don’t have to eat until nighttime."
"I love carrot cake. I don’t eat a lot of sweets, even with my last name," Jonathan joked, eliciting laughter from Lindsay. "But I love the carrot cake."
Lindsay chimed in: "I like the cannoli. The cannoli are good."
Investigations into the murders are currently ongoing.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
