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Published 16:14 28 Jul 2026 GMT
Disturbing new details have come out after a Michigan man allegedly shot his wife and six children before setting their family home on fire and taking his own life.
Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, his wife Amanda "Mandy" Karolkiewicz, 39, and their six children, aged between five and 15, were found dead inside their home in Grand Haven Township on Friday (July 24).
Police believe that Kristopher fatally shot his wife and the children before setting multiple fires throughout the home and then shooting himself.
Autopsies later confirmed that all eight family members died from gunshot wounds before the fire was deliberately started in several parts of the house.
"This is an unspeakable tragedy that we may never completely understand," Ottawa County Sheriff Eric DeBoer said in a statement read aloud by Deputy Captain Jacob Sparks.
Officials say the investigation indicates it was a murder-suicide, but the case remains open as Michigan State Police arson investigators work to determine exactly how the fires began.
As investigators continue piecing together what happened, Reddit posts Amanda shared two years ago have shed light on problems the couple had faced years before the horrific event.
The 39-year-old revealed that around eight years before the killings, Kristopher had what she described as an "emotional affair" with a "much younger" intern at his workplace.
She said life in Grand Haven had once been "like living in a Hallmark Movie" and explained that she had first met Kristopher when she was also working as an intern.
"He was divorced and older than me… fast forward ten years and five kids, he was cheating with the intern again - the same age I was when I was the intern," she wrote, per Daily Mail.
She opened up about the emotional toll the affair had taken on her.
"After about a year of self-loathing, I remember crying and looking at myself in the mirror and realizing how f***** up it was that I was the one who was living so miserably because of what he did. I finally realized that I had been the only person who has ever showed up for myself my whole entire life," she added.
Amanda admitted she wanted to leave the marriage but said doing so felt "insanely terrifying".
Instead, she decided to try to fix their relationship for the sake of their six children.
"I kept telling myself, 'I love my kids more than I hate my husband right now.' They have no idea - I faked it 'till we made it," she wrote. "We're in a much better place 4.5 years out, but it's still a fight to stay in a healthy place."
Although Kristopher claimed that the affair never became physical, Amanda said she "never quite believed him".
She added that the "evidence [made] it all seem like it would be very unlikely that they were never physical."
Amanda also disclosed that she once shoved her husband after discovering the affair.
"I don't feel bad still," she wrote. "He towers over me and destroyed me mentally. It felt like I was being assaulted and needed to fight back. I think it's a fight or flight thing."
Amanda wrote that she and Kristopher began attending both individual therapy and marriage counselling, although she said the process often frustrated him.
"He was having trouble sleeping and was so angry and mad at himself because the counselor asked him if he heard me. It seems like such a big reaction to that pretty normal question from a marriage counselor. He is so sensitive to correction that I'm feeling so discouraged that we'll ever be able to make progress," she said.
Over time, she believed they had made meaningful progress; they had both embraced sobriety and that, despite ongoing struggles, she was generally happy.
"For me, 'safety' is the ability to trust that (he) will not get angry or defensive when I'm triggered, and will help to carry me through it," she wrote. "We're almost five years out, and he's trying, but still struggles with defensiveness. But in general, am I happy? Yes."
"I wouldn't say I feel safety in my emotions, because he still struggles with receiving my triggers without defensiveness, and that's slowing down my ability to regain feelings of safety," she added.
Amanda's and the children's deaths have been ruled homicides, while Kristopher's death has been ruled a suicide.
Four of the six children were Kristopher's biological children, while the couple had adopted two others. Police said the victims included four boys aged 15, 12, 11 and five, along with two daughters, both aged 11. Their names have not yet been released.
The family's dogs and at least one cat also died in the fire.
The couple got married in 2009 after meeting at work at a beverage company the previous year.
Amanda had recently returned to work as a substitute teacher for Grand Haven Area Public Schools after previously staying home with the children.
Their youngest child was preparing to start kindergarten at Peach Plains Elementary, while their oldest had recently begun driver's education ahead of starting high school.
Amanda's mother and stepfather, Becky and Steve Lawwill, described her as "a kind and devoted soul who loved her family and her students."
"We treasured every moment we had with her and her six children, and words cannot adequately address our devastation," they said. "We pray for God's peace and comfort as we grieve their deaths and honor their lives."
Grand Haven Area Public Schools also offered support to students and staff following the tragedy.
"It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge reports of a devastating incident in Grand Haven Township earlier today involving the loss of multiple lives, including several school-aged children," Superintendent Kristin Perkowski said.
"Regardless of the details that may emerge, this is a devastating incident and a tragic loss for our community," she continued. "Our hearts are with all those impacted, and we know many throughout our community may be grieving and struggling to process this news."
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.
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Published 10:15 27 Aug 2024 GMT
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Published 11:15 13 Feb 2025 GMT
A man who took his own life after killing four members of his family had shared a concerning post just days before the incident.
The horrific incident unfolded in a quiet cul-de-sac in Nassau County, Long Island, on Sunday, days after the family's 95-year-old matriarch, Theresa DeLucia, died.
Her son, Joseph DeLucia, Jr., 59, is accused of gunning down three of his siblings as well as his niece, before running out onto the front lawn and turning the gun on himself.
The horrifying crime happened in the small blue home Theresa owned in Syosset, and lived in with Joseph, with reports stating that he had become upset at his siblings' plans to sell the property.
Joseph, who worked as an automobile mechanic and had formerly been an EMT, had reportedly lived in the home his whole life and had been upset that he would need to find somewhere else to live once the property, which is believed to be worth $900,000, was sold.
Nassau County Police Capt. Captain Stephen Fitzpatrick said during a press conference that Joseph had used a pump-action Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun to kill his three siblings - Joanne Kearns, 69, of Tampa, Florida; Tina Hammond, 64, of East Patchogue; and Frank DeLucia, 63, of Durham, North Carolina, as the family convened in the den of the home.
He also shot his 30-year-old niece, Victoria Hammond, to death before running out into the front yard and fatally shooting himself.
Fitzpatrick added: "Officers found him with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his chest. He was pronounced at the scene."
A neighbor, 73-year-old Sandy Landsman, had called 911 after hearing Joseph screaming in the yard before pulling the trigger, telling the New York Post: "We heard a high-pitched scream, it was Joe screaming, then one shot. I was shocked. I never would have thought beforehand that this would happen."
Landsman added that the man had been "very upset" at the prospect of the home being sold, explaining: "We heard he was very upset over this. He didn’t know where to go, he had lived there his whole life.
"One of the siblings said she would take care of him, that she would let him come and live with her. Apparently, that didn’t sound too good to him."
Fitzpatrick added that investigators had been told that Joseph had past mental health issues, which have not yet been confirmed, however, neighbors said that he had been struggling since his mother died on August 19.
He added that Joseph had been "kind of a hoarder", explaining: "He spent all his money on tools and stuff. The house was pretty much hoarded, packed with tools, stuff involved with an auto mechanic.
"He was living there his entire life, never lived on his own. So you could see his mindset, where his world was now changing and he was in a panic."
Joseph had also shared a concerning post on Facebook on the day that his mother died, just a week before shooting his siblings and himself.
He had posted a photo of a grey Tesla car with a New York license plate reading: "Deprssed".
Still reeling from losing his mother, things appeared to come to a head as his siblings convened on the home over the weekend to meet with a local real estate agent, Mary Macaluso, on Sunday to discuss putting the property up for sale.
Macaluso had been headed to the home to speak to the family, however, when she arrived she found the property had already been taped off by police.
Fitzpatrick added: "When this happened, they arrived to meet the realtor. They brought Starbucks, they were assembled in the den area — the brother had stayed behind."
He revealed that Joseph had fired 13 shots in total, aiming 12 at the victims before firing the final one at himself, meaning he'd had to reload the gun several times.
Officers described the scene they found in the home of the late Theresa, who'd worked for three decades as a nurse at a local hospital as well as volunteering in local shelters and food banks - as one of the most horrifying they'd encountered.
Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said: "In 41 years, that was one of the most horrific scenes I’ve ever seen."
Fitzpatrick also revealed that the man had a clean record bar one arrest for drink-driving in 1983, and there had been one wellness check call to the home in 2022 which did not lead to any police action.
Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of the deceased.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
Published 10:11 21 Aug 2025 GMT
This article contains information that some readers may find distressing.
A mother who fatally shot her husband and two children shared a disturbing social media post days before carrying out the killings.
Emily Long, 34, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the family’s Madbury home early Monday morning, per the New York Post.
Authorities say she killed her husband, Ryan Long, 48, and their two eldest children - Parker, 8, and Ryan, 6 - in an apparent murder-suicide.
Both children were shot once in the head, while Ryan, who was terminally ill, sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Their three-year-old child was discovered alive and unharmed in the house and is now in the care of relatives.
Investigators recovered a gun from the scene, but a clear motive remains unknown.
Assistant Attorney General Ben Agati told WCAX: “One of the biggest questions they have right now is motive, why? And I think that’s probably one of the more difficult things that they are trying to grasp to understand how this came to be.”
The tragedy comes against the backdrop of Ryan’s battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer.
Emily had documented her husband’s illness on social media, often reflecting on the toll it was taking on their family.
She described trying to create normalcy for her children even as they struggled to understand what was happening.
In one recent video, Emily admitted: “I am determined to create normalcy. I have been struggling so much and really depressed and just have really become reclusive, and just wanted to be with my kids and my husband. That being said, I’m making a change and it is starting today … And I’m making a point to get out of my depression and do this for my family.”
But her posts also hinted at deep despair.
As reported by the Sun, in a since-deleted TikTok, she told followers: “Today I decided I need to make a conscious effort to shift my mindset. I’m getting out of this depression whether I want to or not.”
In another clip, she confessed: “I know that I need to see a therapist, I know that I need to ask for help... but I’m not ready to acknowledge that, I think.”
She went on to describe feeling as though she was “withering” away. “I’m mourning my husband, I’m mourning my marriage and it’s still there. It’s very confusing and it’s very overwhelming.”
Emily worked as director of operations for the restaurant chain Wing-Itz.
Ryan, a school psychologist at Oyster River Middle School, was remembered by colleagues and neighbors as devoted to his students and his family.
Neighbors in the town of fewer than 2,000 people expressed shock at the devastating loss.
Bevy Ketel, who lived nearby, told WBZ-TV: “It was a perfect family as far as we knew. It was shocking. We didn’t see it coming.”
She recalled seeing the Long children recently selling lemonade near their home.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
Published 10:11 17 Feb 2026 GMT
A hockey game in Pawtucket turned to tragedy on Monday afternoon when a shooter opened fire inside a packed ice rink, killing two people and critically injuring three others before taking their own life.
Police identified the shooter as 56-year-old Robert Dorgan, who also used the name Roberta and the last name Esposito, per the Daily Mail.
Authorities say Dorgan fired at least a dozen shots into the stands at Dennis M Lynch Arena around 2:30PM, roughly half an hour after the 2:00PM tournament began.
The event featured a co-op team made up of Coventry and Johnston students competing against a co-op squad from St. Raphael, PCD, North Providence, and North Smithfield schools.
Two people were killed, including a little girl, and three others remain in critical condition at a local hospital. The shooter is also dead.
A source with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives told Fox News that the gunman shot and killed their wife and opened fire on their three children before dying by a self-inflicted gunshot.
Police Chief Tina Goncalves said officers arrived within a minute and a half of the first reports and have since interviewed more than 100 witnesses.
“We're looking at all avenues,” Goncalves said, adding: “It's going to be a very busy 24 to 48 hours.”
Chief Goncalves identified the gunman as Robert Dorgan, 56, who also used the alias Roberta Esposito.
Dorgan was the father of a student at North Providence High School, according to WPRI.
Authorities said the shooting stemmed from a 'family dispute,' and questions remain about what may have driven Dorgan to target his own relatives, per Sky News Australia.
Court documents obtained by WPRI reveal that Dorgan’s gender identity had been a source of friction within the family.
In early 2020, Dorgan told North Providence Police that they had recently undergone gender reassignment surgery and that their father-in-law wanted them out of their home because of it.
According to court records, Dorgan claimed the father-in-law threatened to 'have him murdered by an Asian street gang if he did not move out of the residence.'
The father-in-law was charged with intimidation of witnesses and victims of crimes and obstruction of the judicial system, though prosecutors later dismissed the charges.
Dorgan also accused their mother of assault and acting in a 'violent, threatening or tumultuous manner.'
She was charged with simple assault and battery and disorderly conduct, but that case was also eventually dismissed.
As these legal disputes unfolded, Dorgan’s then-wife, Rhonda, filed for divorce.
In initial court filings, she cited 'gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits,' before those grounds were crossed out and replaced with 'irreconcilable differences, which have caused the immediate breakdown of the marriage.'
The divorce was finalized in June 2021. Rhonda is now believed to be one of the victims of the shooting, WPRI reports.
The Dennis M Lynch Arena, home ice for the Johnson and Wales Wildcats hockey team, was packed with families, students and supporters when gunfire erupted.
Livestream footage captured spectators and players diving to the floor as approximately 11 shots rang out.
Other video showed the perpetrator in a white beanie walking down the stands and firing into the crowd.
Players on the bench scrambled to escape, some pushing to squeeze out of the box and ditching their skates.
Others vaulted over the rink barrier and sprinted for the locker room.
Coventry player Olin Lawrence recalled the terrifying moment.
“I was on the ice and I thought it was balloons at first - it was like 'bop, bop,' and I thought it was balloons, but this kept going - and it was actually gunshots,” he recounted.
“And after the gunshots, me and my teammates ran right to the locker room and we just bunkered up and we pressed against the door and we tried to stay safe down there.
"But it was very scary, we were very nervous.”
Fortunately, none of the players on the ice were physically harmed.
Still, the chaos extended beyond the rink.
An employee at a nearby Walgreens told WPRI that terrified children ran into the store screaming after the shots rang out.
Tragic photos showed parents clutching their children as they evacuated to the parking lot. Some children, still in their hockey uniforms, were seen crying.
A large yellow school bus and multiple ambulances were stationed outside as police roped off the crime scene. One victim was wheeled out on a stretcher.
A woman who identified herself as the shooter’s daughter told WCVB: “He shot my family, and he's dead now,”
She added that the alleged shooter 'has mental health issues.'
Published 11:00 21 Aug 2025 GMT
A New Hampshire mother who had been documenting her husband’s terminal cancer diagnosis on TikTok fatally shot him and two of their children before turning the gun on herself, authorities confirmed.
Emily Long, 34, her husband Ryan, 48, and two of their children - Parker, eight, and Ryan, six - were found dead inside their Madbury home on Monday night (August 18) after police responded to a chilling 911 call reporting multiple deaths.
According to the Daily Mail, the caller had reported "multiple deaths" within the property.
The family’s third child, a three-year-old, was discovered alive and unharmed inside the house and is now in the care of relatives.
Autopsy results revealed Emily shot her husband multiple times, each child once in the head, before taking her own life.
Ryan, a school psychologist at Oyster River Middle School in Durham, had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, a highly aggressive and terminal form of brain cancer. Emily worked as the director of operations at the restaurant chain Wing-Itz.
“It was a perfect family as far as we knew,” neighbor Bevy Ketel told WBZ-TV, per CBS News. “It’s just shocking. We didn’t see it coming.”
Assistant Attorney General Ben Agati told WCAX that investigators are still trying to understand the motive behind the killings.
“One of the biggest questions they have right now is motive, why? And I think that's probably one of the more difficult things that they are trying to grasp to understand how this came to be," Agati said.
In the months leading up to the tragedy, the mom shared a series of increasingly distressing TikTok videos with her nearly 8,000 followers.
Just two days before the deaths, she posted a clip on her now-private page opening up about her grief, isolation, and struggles to care for her children as her husband’s health declined.
“All I want to do is hide under a blanket with my kids, but that isn't healthy for them and it's not healthy for me,” she said, cited by Daily Mail. “Today I decided I need to make a conscious effort to shift my mindset. I'm getting out of this depression whether I want to or not.
“I am determined to create normalcy... I’m trying to get myself out of the rut, our kids are definitely struggling, and now I’m starting to notice some changes in our three-year-old.”
In separate TikToks, she spoke about having to tell her children that her husband's diagnosis was terminal. She revealed that her two eldest children understood the condition and the outcome more thoroughly than their youngest child.
On May 11, she uploaded a video captioned: "Want to watch someone actually fall apart before your very eyes? I swear, this cancer will be the thing that breaks me," per The Mirror.
According to the New York Post, police officials have disclosed that they are aware of concerns within the household at the time of the killings, but have not elaborated further.
"Based upon the information available at this time, it appears that in the early morning hours of Monday, August 18, 2025, Ms. Long took a handgun from the home and caused the deaths of Ryan Long and her two children, Parker and Ryan, and then took her own life immediately thereafter," a medical examiner said.
"While investigators are becoming aware of various concerns/issues ongoing in the household at the time of the event in question, people should avoid speculating that this event was caused by a single reason or stressor," they added.
The tragedy remains under investigation.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
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