Yahoo Lifestyle All About Okla. Family Murder-Suicide, Where Dad Killed Wife, 3 Sons Before the Last Surviving Child Called 911
Jonathon Candy, 42, fatally shot his wife, Lindsay Candy, 39, and three of their four children, ages 18, 14, and 12, on April 22, before dying by suicide
Jonathon Candy;Ethan Candy;Dylan Candy/Facebook
From left: Jonathon Candy, Ethan Candy, Dylan Candy, and Lindsay Candy. (Not pictured: Lucas Candy.)An Oklahoma mother and three of her sons were found dead earlier this week after being fatally shot by her husband, who then turned the gun on himself, authorities said.
According to Oklahoma City police, Jonathon Candy, 42, carried out the killings of his wife, Lindsay Candy, 39, and three of their four children — Dylan Candy, 18, Ethan Candy, 14, and Lucas Candy, 12, after an argument inside their family home on April 22.
Authorities later revealed that the couple’s 10-year-old son was the sole survivor and was the one who called 911.
Related: Police Believe Okla. Dad Fatally Shot Wife, 3 of Their Children Before Turning Gun on Himself
Police said they never received calls to the family’s home prior to the murders and that they had no history of domestic abuse reports.
While authorities continue to investigate a motive for the violence, here is everything we know about the case so far.
10-Year-Old Son Finds Bodies, Calls 911
At an April 23 press conference, police shared that the couple’s 10-year-old son woke up that morning to find five bodies and subsequently dialed 911 around 9:35 a.m.
Related: 10-Year-Old Sole Survivor of Family Murder-Suicide Called 911 After Discovering Bodies: Police
The boy said that “everyone inside the home appeared to be dead,” according to police.
According to ABC News, Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Gary Knight said the boy was in his room sleeping with the door closed and a box fan on during the murders, presumably muffling any sound.
“There is no indication he didn't sleep through it,” Knight said, according to the outlet.
Police confirmed that he's now staying with a relative.
Family Releases Statement Saying They’re in ‘Shock’ and Calls Dad ‘Goofy’
Following the tragedy, the Candy family released a statement to local station KFOR on April 23, expressing shock and describing Jonathon as “goofy.”
“Our entire family has been left shattered and confused with so many questions we won’t ever have answers to,” the statement reads, according to the outlet. “Jonathon was the one whose jokes and goofy attitude kept everyone smiling. Aside from these events, his children and wife were his entire life.”
Jonathon Candy/Facebook
From left: Lucas Candy, Dylan Candy and Ethan Candy in a photo from 2012.The statement continues, “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.”
Police Believe Dad ‘Hunted’ Down Family Before Murders
While police have yet to share a motive for the violence, an investigator theorized what happened in the home prior to the murders.
“Make no mistake. What happened in that residence was nothing short of a massacre," Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Gary Knight said at the press conference, according to Fox News. “The children were hunted down and killed.”
Couple Appeared in Interview Less Than 2 Years Before Murder-Suicide
Less than two years before the murder-suicide, Jonathan and Lindsay appeared in an interview for the TV series Discover Oklahoma.
In the Nov. 26, 2022 episode, the couple were described as regular customers of a bakery and deli in Yukon, Okla., where the show was highlighting the eatery.
Jonathon Candy Facebook
Lindsay Candy, left, and Jonathon Candy.
“I come here twice a week in the morning just for their breakfast burritos, which are by far anything better than you can get around here,” Jonathan says in the video with Lindsay nodding in agreement. “I love it ‘cause I can eat a big burrito, and then I don’t have to eat until night time.”
“I love carrot cake. I don’t eat a lot of sweets, even with my last name.” Jonathan jokes while Lindsay laughs. “But I love the carrot cake.”
Lindsay adds, “I like the cannoli. The cannoli are good.”
Friends of Family Speak Out Following Tragedy
Those who knew the family spoke out at a vigil held by Ethan's baseball team on April 23.
T.J. Armstrong, head coach of the Mustang Misfits, described the Candy family as "your all-American family... I could live 100,000 lifetimes and never expect this out of that," he said, according to KOKH-TV.
Wyatt Livecy, identified as Ethan's best friend, told the outlet, "I could have never imagined that. Ever. In my whole entire life... I'm still in shock."
Rhonda Armstrong, who described her self as the "team mom" added, "At this point, I just wish the nightmare would be over. I wish it was all a bad dream and that we would wake up and they would still be here," the outlet reports.
Surviving Child Is 'Surrounded by Love'
In a GoFundMe created by the surviving 10-year-old's uncle, he thanked people for the support for his nephew.
"We spent time with our family this weekend, and my nephew was able to be surrounded by love and thankfully some of his friends during this trying time," Brent Remerowski wrote in an update on the GoFundMe on April 29. "All the attention has made me reflect on the road ahead, and what will happen when all of this attention goes away and what's left is the reality of the situation. I guess that's when the real work will start, and the donations you are making now will be most meaningful for my nephew."
The money raised on the fundraiser will go toward "funeral expenses, counseling, education, and the child's general welfare," Remerowski wrote.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Oklahoma City Police Department's Homicide Tip Line at 405-297-1200.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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