GREENWOOD, Minn. - Authorities say five family members, two adults and three children, were found dead inside a home on Lake Minnetonka Thursday afternoon.
Authorities have not released the names of the victims. But the father's business posted a notice online saying the victims were Brian Short and his family. Short is the founder of AllNurses.com.
The company posted the following message Thursday evening:
"It is with great regret and a very heavy heart that I have to share some very sad news with you. There is no easy way to say this. We just found out this afternoon that Brian and his family have been killed. The news is calling it an apparent murder-suicide. The details have not yet been released.
No matter what the details are, the results are still the same…..a very tragic loss for the extended families, friends, co-workers, and this nursing community.
Please use this thread to post you comments of condolence and gratitude for Brian who created this wonderful nursing community that has benefitted so many.
Out of respect for Brian and his extended family with which these comments will be shared, keep your comment positive and uplifting. All inappropriate comments will be moved."
South Lake Minnetonka Interim Police Chief Mike Siitari called the incident "tragic" and something he's never seen in his three decades in law enforcement. Officers were sent to a home on 20900 Channel Drive on a welfare check around 12:21 p.m. after the husband's co-worker became concerned when he didn't show up for work. Officials at the children's school were also concerned when the kids did not show up for class for the last two days. Police are not releasing the ages of the children at this point.
"Officers responded to the residence on Channel Drive in Greenwood and unfortunately, found an entire family of five deceased," Siitari said.
Neighbors described the family as good neighbors and said there were no signs of any problems.
"Totally shocked," said Doug Plocek who lives across the street from the Short family. "Not in the depths of my mind did I think something like that could happen." He described the neighborhood as close knit. He said he would talk cars with Short and wave to his children as they walked in the neighborhood.
"So to have something of this magnitude, and especially when it involves children, it just tears me a part," he said.
Siitari said this is very early in the investigation but it appears the deaths are a result of a murder-suicide. He added there is no threat to the public in this incident.
Aerial footage of the scene showed an upscale home in Greenwood, a village of a few hundred people along Lake Minnetonka, about 20 miles west of Minneapolis.
Three Minnetonka High School seniors stopped by the scene, trying to process the loss of a classmate. They reported the Short family's eldest son was also a senior at Minnetonka High School and said fellow students are struggling with the loss.
"We have a senior meeting tomorrow and I'm sure this will be addressed, and addressed to everyone in the grade, because it's affecting three grades at our school. It's going to leave a huge impact and it's going to take time to grow together so we can heal," said Liam Connery, a Minnetonka High School senior.
Students have started a hashtag on social media to share thoughts and prayers for the Short family, #TonkaStrong.
