2 Children Find Moms Shot to Death Inside Philadelphia Home, Police Say

Two children discovered the bodies of two women, believed to be their mothers, dead in an apparent murder-suicide in their Philadelphia home Monday afternoon, police said.

The children, a 12-year-old girl and 6-year-old boy, arrived home from school along the 8400 block of Cedarbrook Avenue, not far from the line with Montgomery County, around 3:30 p.m. When the children went inside they found their mothers shot, Acting Philadelphia Police Commissioner Christine Coulter said.

"The children returned home and found, what we believe to be their mothers, both shot," Coulter said.

The children then returned to school and informed staff members.

Police and medics arrived at the home. Both women were pronounced dead at 3:43 p.m. Police said a gun was found next to one of the women, who were believed to be married.

Coulter called the deaths a likely murder-suicide and a "horrific scene."

She said the department's top priority is the well-being of the children.

The children were interviewed by homicide investigators and are staying with adult relatives.

Police have not named the women, who were both shot in the head. Neighbors described the women as a "nice couple" who had lived together at the home, but not for very long.

Family members told police the couple had some domestic strife in the past, Coulter said. "It clearly looks domestic in nature," she said about the killings.

There are additional community resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence. Further information can be found here.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HELP: The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or 800-787-3224 (TTY) provides people in distress, or those around them, with 24-hour support.

SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: If you are in crisis, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting 'Home' to 741741.