Authorities believe a man shot and killed his wife and two children before turning the gun on himself in their Southern California home, where their bodies were found Friday.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies went to the house in Santa Clarita early Friday after getting a call from someone concerned about the family, Lt. Rodney Moore said.
The husband and wife, their college-age daughter and pre-teen son were found shot to death in what appears to be a murder-suicide carried out by the man, Moore said.
Authorities believe a man shot and killed his wife and two children before turning the gun on himself in their Southern California home, where their bodies were found Friday. The children, Drew (right) and Sean Birnkrant (left), are seen above
A classmate of Drew Birnkrant remembered her as a popular girl in school who was on the track team
Police are not looking for any suspects.
The gun believed to be used in the crime was found at the scene, said Moore, who declined to identify the family.
Neighbors, however, told KABC-TV that the family which lived in the house was Michael and Amy Birnkrant and their two children, Drew and Sean.
The house is in a neighborhood of modern, two-story homes in a development below the foothills of the Angeles National Forest, about 35 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.
Cindy Rolow, a neighbor who lives five doors down from the family, said she didn’t know them but would often see the father and son walking through the neighborhood holding hands.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies went to the house in Santa Clarita early Friday after getting a call from someone concerned about the family
The house is in a neighborhood of modern, two-story homes in a development below the foothills of the Angeles National Forest, about 35 miles north of downtown Los Angeles
A neighbor said that Amy Birnkrant, a former public school teacher, operated a day care out of the home called Amy’s Corner two days a week
‘We always thought that was cute,’ she said.
‘This is just awful, it’s horrific. It’s so sad to hear somebody would take their family’s life and their own life.’
‘I broke down when I first saw which house it was and every since then, I’m just in shock. I’m in shock,’ said resident Sandy Barajas.
A neighbor said that Amy Birnkrant, a former public school teacher, operated a day care out of the home called Amy’s Corner two days a week.
The at-home pre-school taught close to 12 children at a time from the neighborhood.
‘The kids were cared for amazingly,’ Barajas said.
‘Laughing and singing. They had graduations. It was a beautiful preschool.’
Other parents of Birnkrant’s students broke down in tears as they stood near the home, which had quickly become a crime scene.
Scarlette Barajas said she was a classmate of Drew Birnkrant. She remembered Drew as a popular girl in school who was on the track team.
‘A lot of people were friends with her,’ she said.