Duluth police say it was a murder-suicide that resulted in the deaths of four family members, the suspect and a family dog Wednesday in the city’s East Hillside neighborhood. Police in neighboring Hermantown say a family member told them 29-year-old Brandon Cole-Skogstad — a nephew and cousin of the victim family — sent a message that he intended to harm himself and other family members — it’s believed later posted on social media. Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken says the victims were fatally shot as they slept. Tusken told reporters, “I gotta tell you, it’s tough on all of us. It’s tough on our cops. …Our police officers, a lot of ’em, they have families.”
The victims, all from the Barry family, are: 47-year-old Sean, 44-year-old Riana, 12-year-old Shiway and 9-year-old Sadie. Duluth Mayor Emily Larson calls it “deeply traumatic” and is thanking police and emergency responders and neighbors “for taking such good care of one another and for knowing the beautiful parts of the Barry family.” Mayor Larson says the Barry family’s loss “is our community’s loss.”