Kansas man kills wife and four children in apparent murder-suicide

The case is being investigated as an apparent murder-suicide.

A 53-year-old Kansas man fatally shot his wife and four young children before calling 911 to say he had killed his family and was preparing to take his own life, authorities said. The case is being investigated as an apparent murder-suicide. According to the New York Post, Ronald H. Williams called emergency dispatchers on Tuesday morning, telling them he had killed his entire family and intended to kill himself. Officers later found six people dead inside the family home in Winfield, Kansas.

911 caller said he had killed his family

Winfield Police Chief Robbie DeLong said officers received the call at about 8:50 am while they were responding to an unrelated car crash just two blocks away. An officer who first approached the home retreated after hearing a single gunshot, authorities said. Police then surrounded the residence, initially believing they were dealing with an armed and barricaded person. More than two hours later, officers, a regional SWAT team and Cowley County sheriff's deputies entered the house and found the bodies. “It is believed Williams Sr. killed the five family members prior to placing the 911 call, and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound shortly after law enforcement arrived,” the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) said.

Wife and four children among the dead

The victims were identified as Williams' wife, Kelly L. George, 44, and their four children — Carol A. Williams, 9; Ronald H. Williams Jr., 7; Sarah K. Williams, 5; and Kelly M. McGee Williams, 3. Williams, 53, also died from a gunshot wound, authorities said. DeLong said the shooting was an isolated incident and there was no ongoing threat to the community.

Police had received reports of ‘aggressive behaviour’

The police chief said officers had previously had contact with Williams, including in recent weeks, over reports of aggressive or erratic behaviour. Authorities had also responded to the area around the family’s home following reports of gunfire in the past but had not found evidence, DeLong said. “I can’t say that anything would have indicated where we are today,” he said.

Williams was a registered sex offender

Williams was a registered sex offender, according to Kansas records. In 1998, he was convicted in a case involving attempted indecent liberties with a 15-year-old girl. Court records also showed that he had faced other charges, including battery, attempted rape, burglary and drug-related offences, according to local reports. The KBI and Winfield police are investigating the killings, with authorities working to determine a possible motive. Investigators are expected to interview relatives and neighbours as part of the probe.