Long family Madbury NH remembered at vigil after murder-suicide – NBC Boston

Editor’s note: The details in this story may be disturbing to some readers.

A vigil was held Thursday night in Madbury, New Hampshire, three days after four family members, including a mother and father and two of their young children, were found shot to death in a suspected murder-suicide.

The vigil was hosted by Madbury United Church, according to Foster’s Daily Democrat, which reported that people in attendance cried and embraced, with some leaving flowers.

“We are grieving. Hearts are broken at the loss of Emily Long, her husband Ryan Long, their son, Parker Long, 8 years old, and their daughter, Ryan Long, who was only 6,” Madbury United Church deacon Beverly Ketel said at the vigil. “We’re grieving for a tragedy that we’ll never understand, for children who will not grow up, for a toddler who will never get to grow up with parents and siblings.”

A toddler in the home was uninjured in the shooting and is today staying with other family members.

“A tragedy like this really hits hard, and at the same time it brings together and reinforces the importance of community,” said Doug Rodoski, a resident of nearby Durham who played hockey with Ryan Long.

The vigil was held one night after an event in the neighboring town of Lee on Wednesday, where the Lee Fire Association raised over $8,000 for the Long family’s surviving child.

“I know everyone’s grieving in their own way. So many people want to help,” said Chris Golomb, president of the Lee Fire Association. “It was just one of those touching moments. I’m so moved by people’s response … people needed to get together. Everybody wants to do what’s right for the community.”

Authorities shared new details Wednesday about the shooting deaths of the four family members in their Moharimet Drive home, including who they believe pulled the trigger.

Emily Long, 34, is believed to have shot Ryan Long, 38, and their children, 8-year-old Parker and 6-year-old Ryan, with a handgun, according to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.

Autopsies determined that Ryan Long, the adult, was shot multiple times, while the children were each shot once in the head, officials said. Emily Long’s cause of death was a single gunshot to the head, in a suicide believed to have taken place right after the other three killings.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.

Investigators have urged the public not to speculate about the cause of the shootings.

“While investigators are becoming aware of various concerns/issues ongoing in the household at the time of the event in question, people should avoid speculating that this event was caused by a single reason or stressor,” the attorney general’s office said.

Ryan Long was a school psychologist at Oyster River Middle School in nearby Durham, and Emily Long worked as operations director for Wing-itz, a local restaurant chain.

The state AG’s office says a third child was also in the home and was unhurt.

Police responded to the home on Moharimet Drive in Madbury on Monday night in response to a 911 call, according to the attorney general’s office. The caller said several people were dead inside the home.

Upon arrival, troopers found the 911 callers and entered the home, where they found the bodies of two adults and two children. A third child, a toddler, was found alive and uninjured.

The attorney general’s office said each of the dead family members appears to have suffered gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.

Madbury, a town of fewer than 2,000 residents, is located in Strafford County, just one town over from the University of New Hampshire.