A sixth grader and his parents are dead after an alleged murder-suicide in Massachusetts. Police discovered the Robinson family — Andrew, 56, Linda, 55, and Sebastian, 12 — dead Thursday of apparent gunshot wounds. A call originated about 3 a.m. from the Robinson home in Andover. Upon their arrival, officers made their way into the house and found the family, all deceased.
According to police, Andrew reportedly shot his wife and son before turning the gun on himself. Authorities believe the deaths were "a tragic case of domestic violence and murder-suicide." A chilling recording from dispatchers obtained by Fox News gave insight into the devastating crime that took three lives, including a child's.
Someone inside the home called 911 on the night of the killings.
During a recording of the 911 call, a dispatcher could hear "things smashing" and a "male screaming in the background." Officers went to the scene, but dispatchers warned them that they heard the man yell, "Kill me now."
Authorities proceeded with caution, but after no one answered the door, they had to break in. Officers quickly found two bodies inside the home and told dispatch, "It looks like it's going to be a double. Another male … gunshot wound to the head," an officer said during the recording via Fox News.
Police had never been to the home before.
Andover Police Lt. Edward Guy, the department's representative, said the family had never called the police, and despite what appears to be a case of domestic violence, they were not previously known to police "for any reason," The Eagle-Tribune reported. Guy also stated there were no restraining orders related to anyone in the home.
Andrew Robinson had guns in the home.
Andover Police Chief Patrick Keefe said they are still trying to understand a motive in the case.
"Obviously, we know the how," he said Thursday in a news conference, Fox News reported. "We're trying to figure out the why right now, so we're going to need some time to figure that out."
Andover News reported that Andrew Robinson had a license to carry firearms, but it expired last February. He was last known to own two guns.
Linda Robinson was a well-respected and reportedly private woman.
She was a finance director for 25 years until shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Eagle-Tribune reported. Her former employer, Mark DiSalvo, president of Sema4 Inc., said Linda Robinson was the consummate professional who took pride in her work and made sure that she paid close attention to details.
"That's an enormous thing to have in a finance director in a complicated business," DiSalvo told the news outlet.
She led an extremely private life with no social media presence. DiSalvo said that Sebastian was her life, and he could not imagine the terror of the last moments of their lives. "In truth, he was her world. Period. Underscore. Exclamation," he said, according to the Eagle-Tribune.
Sebastian's school community is devastated.
St. John's Preparatory School, a boy's Catholic school in Danvers, held a memorial service for the young boy on Thursday. It drew a crowd of more than 2,000 who gathered in prayer and grieved for the friend they lost, Masslive reported. Sebastian Robinson was known for his musical talents and his love for learning.
"He was a very gentle soul who was very grateful for the opportunity to be at St. John's," Head of School Ed Hardiman said during the prayer service.
The incident is still under investigation.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic abuse, you can find help and support at DVIS.org, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or by contacting your local women's shelter (domesticshelters.org).
