Honk News (Rhode Island) – A tragic incident unfolded in Rhode Island, where a 39-year-old man took the lives of his pregnant wife and two children before ending his own life, as reported by authorities.
Authorities found the remains of Nicholas D. Arruda, 39, along with Danielle L. Arruda, 39, and their children, Adele, 5, and Felex, 2, at their residence in West Greenwich on Friday, January 3, as reported by the West Greenwich police.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Jan. 8, West Greenwich Police Chief Richard N. Ramsay informed reporters that Nicholas fatally shot his family before taking his own life.
“I wish there could be an explanation to help you make sense of this horrific act,” Ramsay told reporters. “But the truth is we may never know why it happened.”
A shooting took place at the family’s residence on Cheyenne Trail during the hours spanning from 8 p.m. on New Year’s Day to 5:20 a.m. on January 2.
On January 3, officers conducted a wellness check on Danielle after she failed to report to work on Thursday and did not make a call on Friday, leading to the tragic discovery of the family’s bodies.
Ramsay mentioned that there were “suspicious circumstances at the home and had to force entry into the house,” according to the Boston Globe.
Officers stumbled upon a horrifying scene, which Ramsay characterized as “one of the worst” he has encountered in over three decades of service.
“Once inside the home, officers immediately noticed the bodies of two young children, an adult male and a pregnant female,” said Ramsay. “It was apparent there were no signs of life to any of the bodies and that all four had suffered fatal gunshot wounds.”
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Ramsay highlighted that there were no indications of a struggle involving any of the victims, and that Nicholas succumbed to a self-inflicted gunshot wound, with an M4-type semiautomatic weapon found beside him.
Ramsay stated that the West Greenwich police had not been alerted to any issues at the Arruda family home before the event occurred.
“They lived together, and all indications from family and friends were that they loved each other and they loved their children,” Ramsay said.