Two murder-suicides in as many weeks that wiped out entire families has shocked Pennsylvania.
The killings were similar in that one family member killed three people before shooting themselves. In each case, law enforcement has been at a loss to explain a motive or what might have triggered the incident.
On Jan. 12, the Hunt family died at the hands of their oldest son, Clifford Hunt, Jr. 19 in North Sewickley Township. He shot his parents, Clifford Sr., 51, and Michelle, 48, in the head, killing them both. He also shot and killed his 16-year-old brother Cody, before turning the gun on himself.
Then on Jan. 24, police were called to the home of the Swarner family in Ruffs Dale, Pennsylvania. There they found the bodies of the family - Paul Swarner, 35, Karen Swarner, 32, and children, Evelyn, 5, and Connor, 1.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Steve Limani said that the father, Paul, apparently had shot and killed his family with a 22-caliber Ruger pistol before shooting himself.
Police have not offered a motive for either incident. The investigations are ongoing.
"Seemed like they had very successful jobs. Their home was the all-American home. There were toys for the children. Looked like a very loving household," Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Steve Limani said. "I don't know how else to say it other than to say we're sorry, and it's tragic...We feel for them."
Limani said in a press conference that the last known contact Karen Swarner had with anyone was a phone call on Wednesday, Jan. 22. He said the phone call was described to police as normal and that there was no indication anything was wrong.
Likewise in the Hunt case, police have provided few answers as to why the tragic events unfolded. Police did say that Clifford Hunt, Jr. had ready access to firearms.
"The family, all of them, were avid hunters and in my conversations with them, hunting always comes up. I knew they had a lot of firearms in the house," North Sewickley Township Police Chief Jeff Becze told WPXI-11.
A GoFundMe page for the Hunt family has raised over $43,000.
"The Unthinkable has happened to all who knew and loved them and this tragedy has devastated the community," Family friend Autumn Ashurst Stang wrote on the page. "This family of 4 from North Sewickley lost their lives in a tragedy that we are all still struggling to wrap our heads around."
