A heart-wrenching tragedy unfolded in a quiet Connecticut town as a man fatally shot his girlfriend and two young daughters before taking his own life. The grim discovery was made on a somber Friday afternoon inside their Hartford County residence.

The victims, identified as 31-year-old Felisha Matthews and her daughters, 12-year-old Mileena Matthews and four-year-old Ava King, were found dead in their home. The perpetrator, Patrick King, aged 27, confessed to the horrific act in a phone call to his sister, according to police in Plainville.

The tragic sequence of events was set in motion when King’s sister urgently dialed 911. She reported that her brother had shot his family and was intent on ending his own life. This prompted a swift response from SWAT officers, who arrived at the couple’s $335,000 home.

Authorities attempted to establish communication with King in hopes of persuading him to surrender peacefully. However, their efforts were met with resistance as King refused to engage. The tense standoff stretched on for approximately two hours.

In a bid to take control of the situation, officers deployed drones and pepper gas into the home. Their aim was to gain entry and bring an end to the distressing standoff, but the outcome remained a devastating chapter in the town’s history.

After a roughly two-hour-long standoff, officers deployed drones and pepper gas into the home in an attempt to gain entry to the residence.

That’s when King shot himself in the head, according to Plainville police. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries. 

The apparent murder-suicide remains under investigation with police saying there is currently no information about the motive of the killer.

Patrick King allegedly admitted to killing his girlfriend of seven years Felisha Matthews

He also shot dead their two young children: Mileena Matthews, 12, and four-year-old Ava King

Matthews and her two daughters were found dead inside the $335,000 Plainville home on Friday. The family had just moved into the neighborhood in January this year

The family were new to the Plainville community, with King having just purchased the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house in January this year, property records showed.

King and Matthews appeared to be the picture-perfect family, with the couple having just celebrated their seventh anniversary last August.

They met in an AutoZone store and he ‘chased’ Matthews with ‘confidence,’ she recalled in a Facebook post marking the milestone.

‘We’ve built a life full of love, chaos, growth, and so many second chances. We’ve stumbled, rebuilt, fought, forgiven, and outgrown old versions of ourselves. We learned the hard way and still chose each other every time,’ Matthews wrote.

‘We built a family I’d fight the world for.’

She admitted that neither of them are perfect, but described their love as ‘real, rare, and ours.’

Matthews concluded: ‘Here’s to year seven, and everything we’ve survived, learned, and healed along the way. I love you, babe. Always have, always will.’

Mileena, who was Matthews’ daughter from a prior relationship, was a student at the Middle School of Plainville.

King and Matthews, with their daughter, celebrated their seventh anniversary last August

Matthews, seen with Ava, wrote in a heartfelt Facebook post last year that while hers and King’s relationship was not perfect, their love was ‘real, rare, and ours’ 

Mileena Matthews, with her mother Felisha, attended the Middle School of Plainville, but her classmates allege she was frequently absent from school

However, the 12-year-old would frequently miss school, a fellow student alleged.

‘She wasn’t at school too much; she was absent like two or three times a week,’ Mileena’s classmate told FOX 61.

Investigators say there were no prior police calls to the residence, WFSB reported. 

The weapon that King used in the shooting was also legally registered to him and he had a permit to carry, officials added.

‘In the wake of this unimaginable tragedy, our hearts go out to the families, friends and everyone in this community who is grieving and searching for answers,’ Plainville council chair Christopher Wazorko said during a press briefing. 

‘The loss of life is deeply painful for this close-knit community, we stand together in sorrow and compassion for all affected.’ 

The local middle school will have support resources available on Monday for students impacted by the tragedy.