5 dead, including 2 children, identified in Duluth suspected murder-suicide
DULUTH, Minn. — Five people, including two children, were found dead in Duluth Thursday afternoon in what police believe is a murder-suicide.
According to Duluth police, officers responded to a welfare call on the 6000 block of Tacony Street around 2:10 p.m. They found a woman and a child dead from multiple gunshot wounds. They were later identified by police as 47-year-old Erin Abramson and 15-year-old Jacob Nephew.
Abramson, who worked in Superior, Wisconsin, had not shown up for work that day and a coworker called police and asked for a welfare check, Duluth police chief Mike Ceynowa said.
Police say they were able to identify a suspect and set up a perimeter at his residence near the 4400 block of West Sixth Street. Officers entered the home and found a 45-year-old woman, Kathryn Nephew (Ramsland), and a 7-year-old child, Oliver Nephew, dead from apparent gunshot wounds, according to police.
Officials say the suspect, a 46-year-old man identified as Anthony Nephew, was found dead from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Anthony Nephew and Abramson were in a previous relationship and had a child in common, Ceynowa said, while Kathryn Nephew and Anthony Nephew were married.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims' families, friends, and loved ones involved in this tragic event," police said in a statement.
Ceynowa said a preliminary investigation showed Anthony Nephew had a "pattern of mental health issues."
The incident is under investigation.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.
In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.