A quiet Virginia neighborhood is reeling after a horrifying discovery inside a Woodbridge home that police are now investigating as a murder-suicide.
Authorities have identified the three victims as 69-year-old Kegang Xie, her 40-year-old son Danxiong Gao, and Gao’s 2-year-old child. All three were found dead Saturday morning inside their residence, according to Prince William County police.
Investigators say Gao’s 35-year-old wife, Ziyi Lu, is believed to have fatally stabbed her family members before dying by suicide. Lu and Gao shared the 2-year-old child. Police have declined to publicly name the toddler due to the child’s age.
Officers responded around 8 a.m. on Feb. 21 after receiving a report of a stabbing. The call was made by Lu’s father-in-law, authorities confirmed.
When police arrived, they found four people dead — two adult women, one adult man and a small child. All had suffered knife-related injuries. Investigators recovered what they believe to be the murder weapon from inside the home.
As of now, officials say a motive remains unclear.
“Compare it to the worst possible nightmare you’ve ever had,” Police Chief Peter Newsham told WTOP News. “We don’t know the exact cause or the motive in this case, but just to see a family destroyed like this is horrific.”
The shocking case has left the community searching for answers as detectives continue working to piece together what led to the tragedy.
Sad