Vigils held for Andover family killed in apparent murder-suicide
ANDOVER - Sixth grade students sang, prayed, and hugged inside St. Augustine Church in Andover Thursday night. The Robinson family were parishioners at the church, and 12-year-old Sebastian was a student at St. Augustine School until 2021.
His former classmates learned as they got to school Thursday that their friend had been apparently killed by his own father in a tragic murder-suicide.
"We were all just kind of sitting in the classroom, crying, and it was just like really hard," said classmate Ivan Mbui. "[It] was like definitely hard, because none of us really expected anything to happen," added Hanley Poussard. "We just kind of like came to school today not expecting anything."
Police say they believe 56-year-old Andrew Robinson shot his wife Linda and his son Sebastian in the early morning hours inside the family's Porter Road home in Andover before turning the gun on himself.
"None of it makes sense of course," said Father Peter Gori of St. Augustine Parish. "None of it makes sense."
Shortly before the Andover vigil, another service was held at St. John's Prep in Danvers, where Sebastian had just enrolled as a sixth-grade student this year.
"Sebastian was a wonderful young man. He was a kind and gentle presence, well-loved by his teachers," Head of School Ed Hardiman said.
"He definitely meant a lot to me and I just feel like it's very tragic that he passed away," added one of Sebastian's classmates.
Both school communities have grief counselors available for students and families.