Father, mother and 12-year-old son found shot to death in Andover home
ANDOVER - A couple and their 12-year-old son were found shot to death in their home in Andover early Thursday in a murder-suicide, police said.
Andover Police Chief Pat Keefe said they received a 911 call from the family's home on Porter Road just after 3:21 a.m. Officers arrived about five minutes later and had to "breach two doors to get into the house."
"They found the father, mother and a 12-year-old son dead. Wounds were from a gunshot," Keefe told reporters at a news conference.
They were later identified as 56-year-old Andrew Robinson, his 55-year-old wife, Linda, and their son, Sebastian.
"The incident appears to be a tragic case of domestic violence and murder-suicide," the Essex County District Attorney's office said in a statement. "Andrew Robinson died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound."
Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker said Andover Police spoke to the boy's school, St. John's Prep in Danvers, where he was a sixth grader and that classes there were cancelled for the day.
"As I've talked with his teachers this morning, the description they've continually offered is he was a very gentle soul who felt very grateful to be a part of the Prep community, had a tremendous friend group and was very connected to our music program, to our campus ministry program, and just someone who was very well-loved as a gentle soul," head of school Ed Hardiman said Thursday.
"We know the how, we're trying to figure out the why right now," Keefe said.
Tucker said there is no danger to the public and that the scene was "contained." He would not comment on who called 911 from the home.
"I also want to make sure that we recognize the first responders here. The difficulties of working these scenes, we only need to look back at the last couple weeks in Massachusetts, some of the difficult things that our first responders, State Police detectives, our local detectives, local police officers, firefighters and EMS, these can take an emotional toll as well. We're always concerned about their well-being. These men and women do an extraordinary job under some very difficult circumstances," Tucker said, referencing recent cases in Duxbury and Cohasset.
Jim Greer lives in the neighborhood. He said he did not know the family, but walks his dogs by the home every day.
"Very, very concerning," Greer said, adding that it was reassuring knowing police said there is no threat to the public. "Andover has been a pretty safe community. I've bene living here for 40 years or so. Stuff like this happens everywhere. No area is going to be untouched, unfortunately, from gun violence."
Click here for a list of mental health resources, including suicide prevention hotlines.
