A Michigan man fatally shot his wife and six children and then set their house on fire before killing himself, authorities said Monday, calling the incident an “unspeakable tragedy.”
The six children, ranging in age from 5 to 15, and their parents were discovered dead Friday after firefighters responded to a blaze at the family’s Grand Haven Township home, according to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office.
Autopsies completed by Monday confirmed all eight victims died from gunshot wounds, the sheriff’s office said.
The children’s father, 47-year-old Kristopher Karolkiewicz, died by suicide, the sheriff’s office said. The deaths of his wife, 39-year-old Amanda Karolkiewicz, and their six children were ruled homicides.
Four of the children were biological and two had been adopted, the sheriff’s office said. The victims included four boys ages 5, 11, 12 and 15, along with two 11-year-old girls. Authorities are not releasing the children’s names.
“This is an unspeakable tragedy that we may never completely understand why it happened. But we’ll do our best to find the answers and to honor the memory of those victims,” Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Jake Sparks said during a Monday press briefing.
Firefighters first went to the area, located on Lake Michigan west of Grand Rapids, Friday morning after receiving reports of smoke in the neighborhood but could not locate any fire, Sparks said.
Hours later, crews returned to the area following calls about white smoke coming from a residence. They entered the home to fight the fire and found all eight family members dead in separate bedrooms, Sparks said.
Investigators believe the fire was deliberately set in multiple locations throughout the home, with the most significant damage in the basement, Sparks said. The cause and origin remain under investigation. Several dogs and at least one cat also died in the blaze.
“No suspects remain outstanding and the investigation shows that this was a murder-suicide, with a fire being started after the murders,” Sparks said in a Monday press release.
Sparks said he believes the incident may have started as early as the previous night. The weapon used was a handgun that Sparks said he believes was registered.
The investigation remains ongoing.
“We’re trying to get answers for the family. We’re trying to get answers for the community. We’re trying to get answers for our own responders,” Sparks said.
Grand Haven Area Public Schools described the deaths as a “tragic loss for our community.”
“Our hearts are with all those impacted, and we know many throughout our community may be grieving and struggling to process this news,” the superintendent’s office said in a Saturday statement.
The district shared suicide and crisis hotline resources for anyone affected by the deaths.
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.
You can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).