The girls, aged five and eight, died of suffocation, and the body of the 29-year-old mother had a gunshot wound, police spokeswoman Manuela Weinkirn said on Thursday afternoon when asked. A suicide is considered a possibility. However, further investigations are necessary and expert opinions are also awaited.
There are currently “no concrete indications of other people involved,” said Stefan Pfandler, head of the Lower Austria State Criminal Police Office. Nevertheless, such a scenario “should not be ignored.” An identification of the firing hand could provide clarification, but findings from this will probably take several days. In any case, a handgun that the 29-year-old had legally owned was confiscated from the area.
“Putting the puzzle together”
“We have to put the puzzle together,” said Pfandler, referring to the further investigations. A decision on one option would be “too early and unreliable.” The results of a toxicological report are also pending. This report is intended to show whether the two girls were given anything. The report is not expected to be available for several weeks, announced Pfandler.
Crime scene investigations continued on Thursday. Previously, they had mainly focused on the immediate area of the crime, but now other rooms in the residential property were also examined.
Father found dead family
The two girls and their mother were discovered by the children’s father on Wednesday at around 3 p.m. Numerous emergency services were alerted, and the crime scene team and officers from the Life and Physical Injuries Division of the State Criminal Police Office conducted investigations into the night.
