Oklahoma murder-suicide: 10-year-old boy sole survivor in family after dad fatally shoots mom and 3 siblings

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

YUKON, OKLAHOMA: A 10-year-old boy called 911 after seeing his family shot to death in a tragic murder-suicide. The boy is the only surviving member of his family after his father shot his mother and three siblings to death on April 22.

Cops launched a homicide investigation after Jonathon Candy shot his wife Lindsay Candy, 39, and his children Dylan, Ethan and Lucas (18 years old, 14 years old, and 12 years old) before killing himself at their Yukon home.

Boy calls 911 after dad guns down his mom and siblings

On April 22, at approximately 9.35 in the morning, a 10-year-old boy called the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) to report multiple people dead inside a home on Mirage Street in the 2800 block of Czech Hall Estates. Officers arrived at the scene and found five people deceased, all of whom had been shot, and the boy standing in front of the house. The boy who made the distressing call remained unharmed and was later placed in the care of relatives as per KOCO.

At a press conference, OCPD Sergeant Gary Knight said Jonathon Candy had an argument with his wife in the middle of the night and shot her multiple times.

Jonathon then shot and killed his children. The children were found in different parts of the house. Two were found upstairs and two were found downstairs. Police said they found at least one child shot in bed. The cops said the kids were "hunted down and killed."

Yukon murder-suicide 'nothing short of a massacre'

Authorities are still investigating the motive behind Jonathon Candy's actions, including whether the shooting was premeditated or impulsive. Knight expressed uncertainty regarding why the 10-year-old son was spared from harm, stating, "in the end, nobody's ever going to know the answer to that."

Knight described the scene as a massacre, "It's unclear what made him want to go through the home, killing the children. But make no mistake about it, what happened in that residence was nothing short of a massacre,"

Knight mentioned that the couple had no prior involvement with law enforcement or any reported instances of domestic abuse as per TooFab. He described the tragic event as, "It was a horrible thing for everybody, it was certainly most horrible for the young man who woke up and found the carnage."

Knight claimed that the surviving child "apparently had been asleep" during his father's purported rampage and "woke up and discovered what had happened," ABC News reports. 

Knight stated that the door to the boy's bedroom was shut, and there was a box fan operating inside the room at the time. "There is no indication he didn't sleep through it" he elaborated.

Family 'shattered' after Jonathon Candy kills his wife and children  

As reported by Fox News, Candy's family has expressed their sorrow after the horrific murder-suicide, which has left many questions unanswered. The family claimed, "Our entire family has been left shattered and confused with so many questions we won’t ever have answers to, Jonathon was the one whose jokes and goofy attitude kept everyone smiling."

They added, "Aside from these events, his children and wife were his entire life. I simply can’t fathom what went on but please, hug your family tight. It’s going to be a very long healing process for everyone affected."

Internet shocked after tragic Yukon murder-suicide

The disturbing murder-suicide by a father, leaving a 10-year-old boy unharmed, perplexed Facebook users, who struggle to comprehend the motive behind the tragic incident.

One user questioned, "Why not leave a note at least? Explain to the kid why did you spare him or turn on your whole family! This is so incredibly sad!" 

The second said, "This kind of tragedy is happening more and more often. Is sad. I will never harm my family even on my lowest point or in depression." 

Meanwhile, the third commented on the tragic shooting, "This one seems very suspicious to me. I’ve watched way too my true crime for me to sense some major red flags. This is still sad and tragic" 

The fourth shared condolences to the victim's family, "Too heartbreaking for words. Praying for all of the victims, especially the only surviving son who is going to need constant prayers" 

The last wrote, "I’d say unharmed is a stretch. That kid will be messed up forever for what he witnessed. How sad."

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