Ottawa police say they are investigating what they are treating as an alleged murder-suicide after two young brothers were found dead inside a home and their father was later found dead in a burnt-out vehicle, according to CBC. The case has left a neighbourhood in the Ottawa area shaken as investigators work to understand what happened.
According to police, officers went to the home on Monday morning after someone reported that they were getting no response from the family. Inside, officers found two boys, who were brothers aged seven and twelve. Both were dead.
Investigators said the scene at the home was connected to a parking lot about 55 kilometres south of Ottawa. There, police said, they found the boys' father in a burnt-out car. He was also dead.
Police described the case as an alleged murder-suicide, a characterization that reflects the early stage of the investigation. Authorities cautioned that the circumstances are still being examined and have not laid out a definitive account of how the deaths occurred.
According to the report, investigators said they intend to speak with the boys' mother, who is divorced from the father, as part of their efforts to piece together what led to the deaths. Police did not publicly release the identities of those involved.
People who live near the home described the community as reeling. One neighbour recalled sitting in front of their house as a large police presence arrived, saying it did not feel real for something like this to happen so close to home. Officers remained at the scene as the investigation into the deaths of the two children and their father continued.