Michigan father kills wife and six children before setting fire and taking his own life
Police say a 47-year-old man shot his wife and their six children, set their Grand Haven home ablaze and then died by suicide.
A 47-year-old man in Grand Haven Township shot his wife and their six children, set the house on fire and then turned the gun on himself, authorities said Monday. The victims, Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, his wife Amanda Karolkiewicz, 39, and their children — four boys and two girls aged five to 15 — were found dead after a fire was reported at about 11:42 a.m. on Friday. Police determined that all eight victims died from gunshot wounds; the adults' deaths were classified as homicide and the man's as suicide. Preliminary evidence suggests the fire was deliberately started at multiple points inside the home. The family’s pets also perished from smoke inhalation.
"This is an unspeakable tragedy that we may never completely understand," Capt. Jake Sparks of the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office said at a press conference, adding that the investigation was ongoing.
Amanda Karolkiewicz, a substitute elementary school teacher and children’s-book author, was described by her family as a devoted mother and advocate for special-needs students. Grand Haven Public Schools expressed condolences to the family and community. Kristopher Karolkiewicz had recently left a position as vice-president of sales and marketing for the American Heart Association.
The couple met while working for a beverage company in 2008, began dating that summer and married in August 2009.