PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — An Air Force airman who shot and killed his family and then himself in Pierce County had a past incident in which he mentioned suicide and might have been facing a pending divorce, according to investigators.
The bodies of the four family members were found inside a home in the 5700 block of 209th Street East in unincorporated Pierce County near Spanaway after a man called 911 at 1 a.m. Tuesday and said he killed his wife and two children, according to Sheriff’s Department spokesman Ed Troyer.
On Tuesday, the Pierce County Medical Examiner identified 29-year-old Clinton Field, 33-year-old Samantha Field, 4-year-old Ava Field and 2-year-old Ashen Field as the victims.
"He thanked us for our time, but said by the time we got there he would be deceased as well, and he followed through with that," said Troyer.
SWAT officers arrived and tried to talk the man out of the house, but received no response.
When officers eventually entered the house, they found the bodies of a Clinton, Samantha, Ava, and Ashen. All had gunshot wounds. The wife and children were in their beds.
The man was a member of the Air Force who was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The family was from New Hampshire.
Police are investigating what events led up to the homicides. Troyer said there had been no previous police calls at that address.
"We have obtained a little bit of information that he was upset and that he had a past incident that mentioned suicide, so he may have been being treated for that," Troyer said.
No details were available about the incident or the treatment.
Troyer also said the couple might have been preparing to divorce.
He said the family bought the home after the airman returned from a deployment to Korea 14 months ago.
His previous deployment history is not known.
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