HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A married couple and their two young children were found dead in Westmoreland County in what police are calling an apparent murder-suicide.
Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the incident that happened at a home on Keck Lane in Hempfield Township.
Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson identified the victims Friday morning as Paul Swarner, 35, Karen Swarner, 32, Evelyn Swarner, 5 and Connor Swarner, 1.
“It’s unthinkable. Unfathomable. To be honest with you I don’t have the words to describe how awful,” said Trooper Steve Limani of the Pennsylvania State Police. “I mean you’re talking about your wife, but then a five year old and then a one year old. It’s just devastating.”
Troopers said they received a call at 11:30 p.m. Thursday from Karen Swarner’s dad who had done a welfare check on the family and found his daughter, Paul Swarner and their kids dead.
State police said that Paul Swarner shot his wife and kids before turning the gun on himself.
The last contact anyone had with the family was on Wednesday, and police said no one could get a hold of them on Thursday.
The family told police that Karen Swarner did not seem in distress when they last talked to her.
“Hopefully we can give some type of information to the family as to why but right now? There’s no reason for something like this to happen,” Limani said.
Right now, troopers are looking to see if they can find out why Paul Swarner killed his family and himself, and also map out a timeline on when the shootings happened.
“Were trying to see if there’s a reason, there’s maybe a baby camera we’re trying to look through to see if there was anything that took place, see if there was a triggering point or something that would have caused Paul to have these, experience these thoughts,” Limani said. “Right now it’s just a big question mark, and its a very sad one.”
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, prior domestic violence is the greatest risk factor in these types of murder-suicide cases.
Troopers said they do not have a history of any investigations into domestic violence at this home.
However, troopers said they do see these types of cases more often during the winter months and around the holidays.
“No one knows what’s going through somebody else’s mind, so if you’re experiencing thoughts, realize there’s people out there that can help you,” Limani said.
This is the second murder-suicide in Westmoreland County since Christmas Eve, and the fourth in our region in that time frame.
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