GREENWOOD, Minn. (KMSP) - Five family members, including 3 children, were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide Thursday at a home on Channel Drive in Greenwood, Minn., on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. According to South Lake Minnetonka police, the family was discovered on a welfare check after a coworker and the children's school reported them missing. The children had not been to school in 2 days.
"There's no words to describe it, and I've been a cop for 32 years," South Lake Minnetonka Police Chief Mike Siitari said. "This is a tough one to handle."
Officials have made clear that there is no threat to the public. Police are categorizing this as a murder-suicide due to what was found in the residence.
The Greenwood home was owned by AllNurses.com founder Brian Short. The company confirmed the loss of the family members in a statement Thursday:
The Short family moved into their Greenwood home about 4 years ago, and the victims are well known to everyone in the neighborhood, making a difficult situation even more painful. Minnetonka High School will have walk-in grief counseling and small group counseling available for students struggling with the loss of 3 classmates.
Investigators will remain at the home on Friday to process evidence, and we could learn more about what led up to the deaths.