Father, 2 children found dead outside parking garage as police suspect murder-suicide

• A father and his two young children were found dead outside a parking garage in Pennsylvania in a suspected murder-suicide.

• The victims were identified as Patrick Lynch, 42, James Lynch, 8, and Caroline Lynch, 6.

• Police said the incident is not being treated as an accident, while the motive remains unknown.

• Two elementary schools were closed, and counselling services were provided to help the community cope with the tragedy.

A quiet community in Pennsylvania has been left in shock after a father and his two young children were found dead outside a parking garage in what police believe was a murder-suicide.

The tragic incident happened on Tuesday in Mt. Lebanon, a suburb of Pittsburgh, where emergency responders rushed to the scene after receiving reports of three people lying unresponsive near a parking garage.

According to the Allegheny County Police Department, officers arrived around 4:16 p.m. and found a man and two children with injuries consistent with an apparent fall.

READ ALSO: The Lindsay Clancy story: How a mother killed her three children then raised nearly $1 million in public support

Paramedics immediately tried to save them, but all three were pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities later identified the victims as Patrick Lynch, 42, James Lynch, 8, and Caroline Lynch, 6.

Investigators said Patrick was the father of the two children, and preliminary findings suggest the incident was a murder-suicide.

Police also assured residents that there was no ongoing threat to the community.

Mt. Lebanon Police Chief Jason Haberman said detectives were not treating the incident as an accident.

“There will be a significant amount of trauma associated with this event for the community,” Haberman added.

According to reports, Patrick Lynch allegedly killed his son and daughter before jumping from the parking garage himself.

However, investigators have not disclosed how the children died, and the exact circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation.

READ ALSO: Hospitals that turn away emergency patients could face ₦300,000 fine and six months in jail under Senate bill

The motive behind the suspected murder-suicide remains unknown.

Following the tragedy, the Mt. Lebanon School District announced that two elementary schools would remain closed on Wednesday.

The district also made grief counsellors available to support students, teachers and families affected by the heartbreaking incident.

Police said investigations are ongoing as they work to determine exactly what happened before the three family members lost their lives.