A man in his 80s killed his wife and two children Saturday at a home in Granada Hills before turning the gun on himself, the local authorities reported after a preliminary investigation.
The horrific incident occurred around 7pm at Lerdo Avenue, ABC7 reported.
An individual who witnessed the incident inside the house called the police. Officers entered the house after no one answered the door and were met by the witness who directed them to the victims.
According to investigators, the witness barricaded himself in a room during the shooting before calling the police, but details on who that person was were not immediately released.
“I don’t know how much more terrifying and horrific of a scene it can be when you have four persons that are deceased,” said Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Captain Kelly Muniz during a press conference Saturday night.
He added: “The only positive point is that you at least have one witness that has survived this incident.”
The suspect, who was described only as a man in his 80s, fatally shot his wife, who was also in her 80s, and their two adult children, a man and a woman in their 40s, police said.
He was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a different part of the house, they added.
A neighbour who stopped by the scene was shocked to hear what unfolded near his home, saying he never got the opportunity to meet the victims.
The incident remains under investigation and the area near Lerdo Avenue remained closed off for most of the night.
