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Delaware State Police: Man Killed Wife, 3 Young Children Before Turning Gun On Self In Murder-Suicide

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PRICES CORNER, Del. (CBS) – It was a tragic discovery inside a Delaware home as police say a man killed his wife and three young children before turning the gun on himself in a murder-suicide.

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Police found the bodies of five people in the home along the 2700 block of Ferris Road in Prices Corner on Monday night. Delaware State Police say 42-year-old Matthew Edwards shot and killed his wife, 41-year-old Julie Edwards, and their three children --  a 6-year-old boy, 4-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy -- before shooting himself.

delaware family killed
(credit: CBS3)

"The individuals have been turned over to the Delaware Division of Forensic Science where autopsies were performed and have ruled the deaths to be murder/suicide by gunshot," police said in a statement.

One neighbor who didn't want to show his face on camera said Matthew Edwards confided in him a night before the suicide that he recently lost his job and was separating from his wife.

"This is just so sad," said neighbor Alisha Garvin.

Garvin says she heard the bang of explosions around 12 p.m. Monday, but at first didn't think anything of it.

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"It just sounded like pop, pop, pop, like firecrackers and didn't pay it any mind because the Fourth was just a few days ago," said Garvin. "Didn't pay it no mind at all."

Garvin then says a child who was supposed to sleep over at the house was dropped off around 7:30 p.m., walked inside and discovered the bodies.

"A neighbor said she watched him get out of the red truck, go inside and then rush right out," said Garvin. "So apparently he had to have found them because no one else was around."

Police swarmed the area shortly after. Authorities believe the victims died from apparent gunshot wounds. Police also say the surrounding area is not in danger.

Authorities say autopsies will be done to figure out exactly what happened.

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Anyone with any information is asked to call police at 302-365-8441.

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