Six relatives died in an apparent murder-suicide in the Dallas suburb after two brothers made a suicide pact that included the deaths of other relatives, police said.
Allen’s police found out about the deaths after a concerned friend called the police at about 1 am on Monday, concerned that a person was suicidal, the police sergeant. Jon Felty said.
“The two brothers reached an agreement that they would commit suicide and, from there, go where the whole family would be taken with them,” said Felty.
One of the brothers described in an Instagram post what happened or was going to happen, said Felty.
One brother was 19 and the other was in his 20s, he said. Victims include a grandfather, two parents and a sister, he said.
Police identified the dead on Monday as the 54-year-old father, Towhidul Islam; Mother Iren Islam, 56 years old; Grandmother Altafun Nessa, 77; Tanvir Towhid, 21; and the 19-year-old twins Farbin Towhid and his brother Farhan Towhid, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
Neighbors told the station that they were shocked by the discovery. “The family is very pleasant and happy,” said friend Deelra Hassan.
The police had no substantive contact with the family, except for a bell call in 2018, Felty said. He said the evidence suggests that the deaths occurred on Saturday.
Felty said the family is from Bangladesh and investigators found some relatives in Florida who were en route to Texas.
“We have never had an incident like this in the 21 years that I am here,” said Felty. “… It is just a tragedy. There is no other way to describe it. It is a tragedy that you simply cannot imagine.”
The police investigation was underway on Monday.
The letter posted on social media said the brothers planned to shoot their families and then themselves, and mentioned being clinically depressed, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reported.
Allen is a suburban city of about 105,000 people north of Dallas.
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, call US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
