The bodies of four family members found dead in an apparent murder-suicide this week were found in a Bay Area apartment, authorities said.
All four people were found with one gunshot wound, Milpitas Police Lt. Tyler Jamison said at a televised news conference. He said investigators suspect the husband, 36-year-old Vinh Nguyen, killed his wife and two children with a handgun registered to him and found at the scene.
Police identified the mother as 36-year-old Betty Pham but did not release the names of the couple’s 9-year-old boy or 4-year-old girl.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy,” Jamieson said. “Their loss of life was avoidable and we urge those in need to seek support to prevent something like this from happening again.”
Police found four bodies when they showed up at the family’s apartment Tuesday night to conduct a welfare check. Jamison said relatives told authorities they had not heard from the family in three days and that Pham and Nguyen had not shown up to work at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.
When police entered the apartment, they found Pham lying on a bed with two children with a gunshot wound to the head, according to Santa Clara County Medical Examiner records. Nguyen suffered two head injuries, was found with a handgun on his right thigh and several shell casings were found in the apartment, records show.
Jamison said the motive for the shooting was still under investigation and did not provide further details about the case. But coroner’s records show that relatives were increasingly worried about Nguyen because he and Pham were divorcing. They told investigators that Nguyen suffered from depression and insomnia and had just purchased a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, coroner’s records show.
Jamieson said the police had not received any previous calls.
“This is our first contact with them as a police department,” he said.
