A quiet New England community has been shattered by an unthinkable tragedy. Authorities say Emily Long, 34, fatally shot her husband and two young children before killing herself inside their Madbury home late Monday night in what investigators believe was a horrific murder-suicide.
According to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, Long used a handgun to kill her husband, Ryan Long, 38, and their children, 8-year-old Parker and 6-year-old Ryan Jr. Autopsies revealed Ryan Long suffered multiple gunshot wounds, while the children were each shot once in the head. Emily Long died from a single gunshot wound to the head, in what police say was a suicide immediately following the murders.
In a chilling twist, a toddler inside the home survived the massacre unharmed. The child has not been publicly identified and is now in the care of relatives.
Police were called to the family’s Moharimet Drive residence after a 911 caller reported multiple bodies. When troopers arrived, they discovered the grisly scene: two adults and two children dead from gunshot wounds.
Authorities have urged the public not to jump to conclusions about the motive, saying investigators are still piecing together “various issues” within the household.
The tragedy has devastated the Oyster River School District, where Ryan Long worked as a middle school psychologist. Superintendent Robert Shaps called the loss “heartbreaking” and confirmed mental health resources will be made available to students and staff as the community prepares for the start of the school year on August 27.
Local businesses and organizations have also expressed grief. Restaurant chain Wing-itz, where Emily Long worked as an operations director, issued a statement saying they were “profoundly grief-stricken.” Meanwhile, a planned Family Night Out event in nearby Lee was postponed and replaced with a community gathering for support and healing.
Fundraisers are now underway to support the surviving child.
This tragedy has left an entire community reeling, struggling to make sense of the unimaginable loss — a family wiped out in a matter of moments, with only one small child left behind.