A 10-year-old child awoke after his father “hunted” down his elder brothers and mother in a gruesome murder-suicide in a suburban Oklahoma house, authorities said.
Jonathon Candy, 42, had an altercation with his wife, Lindsay, that became out of control. “He grabbed a revolver and fatally shot his wife “several times” and “systematically went through the residence shooting the children,” Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Gary Knight said.
Responding officers discovered the 10-year-old outside alive, but his brothers — Dylan, 18, Ethan, 14, and Lucas, 12 — were all slain before Jonathan turned the gun on himself, officials said.
“Make no mistakes. “What happened in that residence was nothing short of a massacre,” Knight said at a press conference on Tuesday. “The children were hunted down and killed.”
The Candy Family has made a statement to media outlets.
“Our entire family has been left shattered and confused with so many questions we won’t ever have answers to,” claimed one member of the family. “Jonathon was the one that made everyone smile with his jokes and quirky attitude.
“Apart from these occurrences, his life revolved around his children and wife. I simply don’t understand what happened, but please embrace your family tightly. It’ll be a long healing process for everyone involved.”
For hours, unfathomable confusion hung over the murders when responding authorities discovered the dead family and a 10-year-old boy outside the house on Monday morning.
Knight described the situation inside the Yukon, Oklahoma, residence as “carnage.”
“It remains a mystery as to what caused Mr. Candy to murder his wife and three of his children,” according to police, who stated that there had been no previous domestic incidents at the Yukon, Oklahoma residence, a suburb of Oklahoma City.
It’s even more perplexing because he left his youngest child alive. “It’s something we’ll never know,” Knight explained.
Edgar Felix, a neighbor of the Candy family, told KOCO News 5, a local ABC station, that it is “mind-blowing.” In a house, no less!”
“It makes you wonder what kind of activity happened in that house,” Felix went on to say.
Two of the victims were current Mustang Public School District students, with the oldest son graduating last year.
According to School Superintendent Charles Bradley, “We are shocked, and our hearts are broken; this tragedy simply defies understanding.”
“It is with a heavy heart that I share some very sad news with all of you,” Bradley wrote in a statement on Monday. “We confirmed that a tragedy occurred at a residence in our District, and we can now confirm the deaths of two of our students (a sixth-grade student at Meadow Brook Intermediate and a ninth-grade student at Mustang High School), as well as a recent MPS graduate (2023).
“While this has been a very difficult year for the MPS Family, both students and adults may struggle with managing their feelings and reactions to this news.”
Bradley stated that the district formed a crisis response team and encouraged parents to monitor their children’s behavior, even if they did not know the victims.
“Feelings of anger, hurt, guilt, and sadness are natural,” he added. “Typical grief symptoms include sleep difficulties, temporary loss of appetite, worry, and concerns about the health and safety of friends and family.
“Some recommendations for coping with your child’s questions and concerns include listening to them and letting them know that you are always accessible to answer their inquiries and be there for them. Encourage your children to express their emotions and share your own.”
The school system provided resources, including this webpage, to assist with these challenging conversations.
“As the greater Mustang school community processes this news, we would like you to know that students of Mustang Public Schools have access to counseling support,” he went on to say. “To access these programs, kids and families should simply contact their school counselor or administrator.
“We are here to support and collaborate with you. This is a terrible moment for everyone, but I am confident that our students and staff will support one another.