DULUTH, Minn. — Police in Duluth are attempting to find a motive for a shooting Thursday that left five people dead, including two mothers and their sons.
Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa told reporters during a press conference Friday that squads were sent out shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday for a welfare check at a house on the 6000 block of Tacony St. in the Cody neighborhood. Responding officers found two people, identified by police as 47-year-old Erin Abramson and her son 15-year-old Jacob Nephew, dead from gunshot wounds.
The person who called police identified a possible suspect, 46-year-old Anthony Nephew, and law enforcement identified a home on the 4400 block of West 6th St. near Duluth Denfeld High School as the suspect's known address.
Chief Ceynowa said a perimeter was set up around the residence and a drone was used to enter. Inside were the bodies of two additional victims - 45-year-old Kathryn Nephew (Ramsland) and 7-year-old Oliver Nephew - also dead from what appeared to be gunshot wounds.
The suspected shooter, Anthony Nephew, was also found deceased in the home with what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Ceynowa explained that Anthony Nephew and Erin Abramson had a previous relationship and shared a son, while Kathryn Nephew (Ramsland) was his current wife, and Oliver was their son.
While not commenting on a possible motive for the deadly shooting, Chief Ceynowa said the preliminary investigation revealed "a pattern of mental health issues" with Anthony Nephew. He added that investigators are looking into a series of previous calls to the address on W. 6th St., where the suspect lived with his wife and son.
They are also using cell phone data in an attempt to determine the time window in which the shootings happened.
Ceynowa called it "a senseless and tragic event."
Superior Mayor Jim Paine told reporters that Erin Abramson was employed by his city and called her a leader in their environmental services department, "the most important department in the city of Superior."
"She dedicated her life and her work to protecting public health in Superior and the north woods of Wisconsin," Paine said, "and to protecting the health of Lake Superior." The mayor said Abramson had many friends in city government, and offered his condolences to her family, friends and co-workers.