A Pennsylvania father and his children, ages 6 and 8, were found dead near a parking garage, and police suspect murder-suicide

A father and his two young children were found dead near a parking garage in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday afternoon, and police suspect a murder-suicide. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified them as Patrick Lynch, 42, his eight-year-old son, James, and his six-year-old daughter, Caroline, according to NBC News. All three lived in Mt. Lebanon.

Allegheny County police said first responders arrived a little after 4 p.m. and found an adult male and two children “suffering injuries from an apparent fall.” Responders attempted lifesaving measures. However, medical professionals pronounced all three dead at the scene, which sits behind the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building on Washington Road in the Pittsburgh suburb.

Police said preliminary information suggests the deaths were a murder-suicide and that there is no danger to the community. Mt. Lebanon Police Chief Jason Haberman told reporters that investigators are “treating this incident not as an accident.” Hours later, the children’s mother shared what she says happened in the months leading up to that afternoon.

The children’s mother says her husband had been struggling since losing his job in August

Anna Lynch wrote on Facebook that her husband “made the irreversible decision to kill our two children and himself.” She said he was laid off in August and became depressed shortly afterward. She added that she had suggested he see a therapist, and he agreed, with an appointment booked for the day after the deaths, which she called “one day too late.”

“Before the media jumps to conclusions, he was a wonderful dad,” she wrote, while urging people to check on their loved ones. The medical examiner later ruled the deaths of both children homicides caused by multiple blunt force injuries. However, police have not publicly confirmed a motive or said whether the job loss is connected to the apparent murder-suicide.

Caroline was born with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic condition, and her diagnosis led Anna Lynch to co-found The Inclusion Collective, a local nonprofit focused on disability awareness in Pittsburgh’s South Hills. The Williams Syndrome Association, which supported the family after Caroline’s diagnosis, released a statement offering its condolences to Anna and everyone affected by the deaths.

The Mt. Lebanon School District closed Markham and Washington elementary schools on Wednesday, saying it was “deeply saddened by the tragic news involving members of our Mt. Lebanon school community.” Families at other schools could keep their children home with excused absences, and counselors were made available to students and staff. Honey Bee Haven, the childcare center Caroline attended, also closed temporarily.

Haberman acknowledged the toll on the township, telling reporters that “everybody in the Mt. Lebanon community will know somebody involved in this incident.” The case is the latest family murder-suicide to draw national attention this year, after a Houston father killed his wife and children inside their River Oaks home in May.

The Allegheny County Police Homicide Unit is leading the investigation into the suspected murder-suicide, with Mt. Lebanon police assisting. Police have repeated that there is no ongoing threat to the public. A fundraiser has also been set up to support Anna Lynch following the loss of her husband and both of her children.

The medical examiner’s office has not yet released the cause and manner of Patrick Lynch’s death, and those findings could come as the investigation continues.

Anyone experiencing emotional distress or suicidal thoughts can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.