In a devastating incident in California, a father tragically ended the lives of his 10-year-old twin sons in a murder-suicide, and narrowly missed shooting at their mother, as her family has disclosed.
The 37-year-old man, whose identity remains undisclosed, fatally shot his sons, Joseph and Greysen Chavez, and subsequently targeted their mother, Jennifer, on a Sunday, as detailed in a GoFundMe page set up for the mourning family.
The tragedy unfolded during a family gathering celebrating the boys’ grandmother’s birthday in Canoga Park, located roughly 25 minutes from Los Angeles, when the peaceful occasion was shattered by gunfire.
Reports indicate that the father first shot his sons before aiming at Jennifer, missing her, and then turning the gun on himself.
Jennifer, identified by the California Post, was seen in deep anguish, being comforted by a man outside the residence.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the father and the twins were discovered with gunshot wounds to their heads, with the tragic incident being investigated as a murder-suicide perpetrated by the father.
‘Our hearts are shattered as we try to process the loss of Greysen and Joseph. Anyone who knew these boys knew how special they were. They were funny, goofy, and full of personality,’ the fundraiser said.
‘They loved to make people laugh and somehow always found a way to bring smiles to everyone around them. Whether they were being silly, dancing, or just being themselves, Greysen and Joseph brought so much joy into the lives of the people who loved them.
Twins Joseph and Greysen Chavez, 10, were shot and killed by their unidentified 37-year-old father in a murder-suicide on Sunday
The boys’ mother, Jennifer, has been identified by the California Post as the devastated woman seen crying uncontrollably as a man consoled her just outside the property
‘They were the kind of boys who could brighten a room just by walking into it. Their laughter was contagious, their hearts were big, and they had so much love to give.’
The twins were described as Jennifer’s ‘pride and joy,’ and the fundraiser is raising money to help support her with ‘financial burdens.’
The Daily Mail has contacted the LAPD for more information on the investigation.
Authorities spent hours at the scene collecting evidence from inside and outside the home, which sits directly across the street from Lanark Park, a family-friendly playground and recreation center.
While many of the people at the scene knew the family, complete strangers also showed up to pay their respects.
‘I felt like, even though we might not see their family, we thought that they needed some prayer and some thought, because like, I don’t know, I know me personally, whether I know them or not, I would want to pray for someone’s healing and just overall as a person, because that’s really sad and I don’t wish that upon anybody,’ one woman told ABC7.
Another local, CC Pelkey, told KTLA5: ‘My heart is breaking for this family because this is tragic. This should never happen to anybody.
‘The kids never had a chance to have a life, and I don’t know why the father, if he did have issues, couldn’t have gotten help. Why? To take his children’s lives and his own life. It’s just, there are no words right now.’
The family was at a birthday party for the boys’ grandmother at a home in Canoga Park, about 25 minutes outside Los Angeles , when the gunfire exploded
It comes just weeks after another LA family lost their lives in a murder-suicide that is believed to have been carried out by a mother.
Marine Basmajian, 29, shot and killed her husband, Khajag Basmajian, 31, and their two young children, Alec and Ella, before turning the gun on herself around 8pm PT on May 27, authorities said.
Officers rushed to the family’s $833,000 home in North Hills after multiple reports of a shooting came in.
It remains unclear what sparked the deadly incident, but a neighbor suggested it might have been due to postpartum depression.
‘It’s so depressing, it’s so devastating for everyone. Postpartum [depression] is real,’ Karen Banuelos told the Los Angeles Times, referring to Marine having her second child just days before.
‘To get possessed to do that? It’s just, there’s no words,’ she added.
