Drone Spots Family of Five Dead Inside Washington Home

A family-of-five was found dead inside their home by a police drone sent in to explore the property following concerns about their safety.

The welfare check ended in tragedy with police suspecting that a "murder-suicide involving a firearm" had seen a family member fatally shoot the others before turning the gun upon themselves. The grim discovery was made by officers of the Clark County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) in Vancouver, Washington, at lunchtime on Sunday.

On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), which equates to more than 10 million attacks each year. One in seven women and one in 25 men have been injured by an intimate partner, according to the organization. There has been a rise in murder-suicides in recent years, and 2022 saw the highest number of cases on record.

A police statement about Sunday's incident in Washington said that CCSO carried out the welfare check shortly after 1:00 p.m. at the home on the 11500 Block of NE 92nd Street in the Orchards neighborhood.

The statement said: "A reporting party had requested CCSO check on their family after receiving a text message from a family member stating they had harmed others at the residence.

"CCSO arrived on scene and attempted to contact those at the residence and were unsuccessful. Based on the information about harm to others, possible firearm involvement, and being unable to reach any of the family members in the home, patrol requested the assistance of the Southwest Washington Regional SWAT team.

"CCSO deployed an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) into the home and found several people who appeared to be deceased. SWAT operators and Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) medics entered the residence and confirmed that five people were deceased inside.

"The Clark County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit (MCU) was called to the scene to investigate. While the investigation is in the early stage, this appears to be a murder-suicide involving a firearm. Five family members at the residence appeared to have been shot, including the suspect.

"There is not believed to be any threat to the public. This is an ongoing and active investigation."

Newsweek has reached out by email to the Clark County Sheriff's Office, requesting further information and comment.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.