Father of 4 young children called 911 to report killing family then took his own life: Police
A father of four called 911 to report that he had killed his entire family, before turning the gun on himself in an apparent murder-suicide, police in Kansas said.
Authorities who responded Tuesday morning to the home in Winfield, Kansas, found six people dead inside, including three girls and one boy between the ages of 3 and 9, according to police.
The victims also included the mother of the four children, according to Jason Diaz, special agent in charge with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). The suspected gunman was also found dead, he said.
The 911 call came in at approximately 8:50 a.m. CT Tuesday, according to Winfield Police Chief Robbie DeLong.
The man "stated that he had killed his entire family and he was getting ready to kill himself," DeLong said during a press briefing Tuesday evening.
Officers who were already in the area for another incident responded to the home. As the first officer approached the home, they heard a single gunshot and then retreated, the chief said.
"There was no other indication of any other loss of life, and so standard protocol was to set up a perimeter and start working the incident as a barricade situation," DeLong said.
Officers ultimately breached the front door shortly before 11 a.m. CT, where they found the six family members dead inside, he said.
KBI identified the victims as Kelly George, 44, and her four children -- Carol Williams, 9; Ronald Williams Jr., 7; Sarah Williams, 5; and Kelly Magee-Williams, 3.
The agency identified the suspect as 53-year-old Ronald Williams Sr., the father of the children.
Authorities said that only the six family members lived in the home, and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
"I believe when he called 911 that he was accurate in what he said, and when officers arrived on scene, that final gunshot wound was a self-inflicted one," Diaz said regarding the suspected gunman.
A motive remains under investigation, police said. Diaz said investigators have been interviewing neighbors.
DeLong said police have received a few calls in recent weeks about Williams regarding "erratic behavior," including confronting and yelling at people.
"I can't say that anything would have indicated that we would be where we are today," the chief said, later noting that he hasn't seen a case like this in his 20-plus-year career.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
