PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A 34-year-old Portland man struggling with mental health issues is suspected of fatally shooting his 4-year-old daughter in the head and then killing himself in the same way, police said Friday.
Police said the girl’s mother came home from work Thursday night and found the bodies. They said the couple had another daughter, who was not home at the time of the shootings.
The father was identified as Jesse Willard and the daughter as Maribella Willard.
The medical examiner’s office determined the nature of the injuries, police said.
Police didn’t elaborate on the father’s mental state.
Jesse Willard’s aunt, Nonie Willard, said he had been in a bad car crash more than a year ago, and suffered massive head trauma, The Oregonian reported (https://is.gd/tV18Ih).
“This is just a very extremely difficult time for us,” she said. “He was a wonderful father and a really special guy. Our hearts and our thoughts are with his wife and their other little girl.”
Neighbors said the family had lived in the north Portland home since 2008.
Slobodan Radosevic and his wife, Otilija Radosevic, live next door. They said Jesse Willard was usually at home during the day.
“He was always polite, respectful, playing outside with the kids,” Slobodan Radosevic said.
Another neighbor, Mia Sires, saw an ambulance drive up to the house Thursday night and saw emergency medical technicians run inside.
“Within three minutes, one of the EMTs came out, just crying,” Sires said Friday.
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