MILPITAS — The four people found dead in a Milpitas apartment Tuesday were a family killed in an apparent murder-suicide, according to police notes posted online through the county coroner-medical examiner’s website.
Milpitas police arrived around 4 p.m. Tuesday to the apartment at 1355 McCandless Drive to conduct a welfare check because the family had not been “seen or heard” since the afternoon of Dec. 14, according to authorities. Police forced entry into the home to find a gruesome scene.
Police found all four of the family members “deceased in bed and all with apparent gunshot wounds to the head,” according to officials.
Authorities say the father and mother of the family were both VTA employees who were going through a divorce; a VTA spokesperson confirmed Thursday afternoon that the two people worked for the transit agency.
None of the people killed have been publicly identified.
Police allegedly found the father with a 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun at his right thigh. Police allege the father shot the mother and their two children, including an eight-year old boy and another daughter, who is a minor, before turning the weapon on himself to take his own life.
Police found “several spent casings and expended rounds” at the apartment.
If you or someone you know is struggling with feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, round-the-clock support, information and resources for help. Call or text the lifeline at 988, or see the 988lifeline.org website, where chat is available.