Crime

'Extraordinarily Creative' Boy, 12, Is Killed Along with Mother by His Father in Double Murder-Suicide

Officials said a 911 call came from inside the house but have yet to publicly reveal who the caller was

Published on February 10, 2023 02:32PM EST

A 12-year-old Massachusetts boy was killed along with his mother by his father in what authorities are calling an apparent murder-suicide.

Investigators believe Andrew Robinson, 56, shot and killed his wife, Linda, 55, and son, Sebastian, before turning the gun on himself inside the family's Andover home, according to a joint press release from Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker and Andover Police Chief Patrick Keefe.

Their bodies were discovered with gunshot wounds around 3:20 a.m. on Feb. 9, according to police, who said they had to break two doors just to get inside the home. Officials also said a 911 call came from inside the house but have yet to publicly reveal who the caller was.

Authorities labeled the incident a "tragic case of domestic violence," and said there was no ongoing threat to the public, the release states.

"Obviously, we know the how; we're trying to figure out the why right now, so we're going to need some time to figure that out," Chief Keefe said during a news conference at the scene.

According to 911 dispatch recordings reviewed by Fox News, a dispatcher told responding officers that someone was heard in the background of the call saying "kill me now."

Andrew Robinson worked at Channel Building Co. in Wilmington, Mass., until he left the company about six months ago, according to The Boston Globe. Linda Robinson's father, Joseph Hachey, told the outlet his daughter was a successful accountant and model who led a private life.

St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, where Sebastian was a sixth grade student, issued a statement after the tragedy.

"This morning we learned of the tragic death of Sebastian Robinson, a member of our sixth grade class," the school said in a statement. "Understandably, this news comes as a devastating and heartbreaking shock to the St. John's Prep community."

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On Thursday, St. John's Prep canceled classes and held a prayer service for the class of 2029 member and his family.

Head of School Ed Hardiman remembered Sebastian as an "extraordinarily creative" student who played the cello as part of the school's music program, CBS News reports.

"Sebastian was a wonderful young man,"Hardiman said, per the outlet. "He was a kind and gentle presence, well-loved by his teachers."

The incident remains under investigation by the Essex County District Attorney's Office, Massachusetts State Police and the Andover Police Department.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.