A man set fire to the home they shared in Michigan, fatally shooting his wife and their six children before turning the gun on himself, authorities said Monday.
Christopher Karolkiewicz, 47, killed his wife Amanda, 39, and their children, ages 5 to 15, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Lt. Jake Sparks said at a news conference.
They were found dead after first responders arrived at their Grand Haven home on Lake Michigan’s eastern shore late Friday morning, Sparks said. Autopsies revealed that all had been shot to death.
“The investigation at this time has determined that this was a murder-suicide and that the fire occurred after the murder,” Sparks said.
Four of the children are the couple’s biological children and two 11-year-old girls have been adopted, Sparks said, adding that the identities of the children will not be released at this time.
The Michigan State Police Fire Investigation Division and state police dogs assisted the sheriff’s office in the investigation, State Police Lt. Pat Agema said in an email.
Sparks said firefighters and police were called around 11:42 a.m. Friday after a neighbor reported a house fire and found the bodies in separate bedrooms.
“Preliminary indications are that the fire was intentionally set in various locations within the residence,” he said.
Sparks said the violence may have started the night before and continued into Friday morning, as there were previous reports of the smell of smoke in the area.
Sparks said investigators believe Karolkiewicz used a registered handgun in the attack, but declined to say whether a firearm had been recovered from the fire-damaged residence.
Amanda Karolkiewicz was a substitute teacher, children’s book author and advocate for special needs children, Detroit NBC affiliate WDIV reported.
“Our daughter Mandy was a kind and dedicated person who loved her family and students,” her parents told WDIV. “We cherished every moment we spent with her and our six children, and words cannot adequately express our devastation.”
Grand Haven Area Public Schools officially recognized Amanda this year as a dedicated substitute who “puts her heart and soul into her job,” the department said.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or visiting 988lifeline.org or visiting SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
