Before turning a gun on himself, 39-year-old Marcus Edward Milligan shot his three children and his wife, according to the Cecil County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office, which confirmed the murder-suicide.
Milligan then called 911 operators and told dispatchers the children — ages 8 through 14 — and his wife were dead. He also told them he was going to kill himself as soon as he hung up, police said.
Deputies arriving at the custom Colonial home, which is tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac near Elk Mills, Maryland, found the bodies including one person inside a detached garage.
“Based on the evidence obtained, this incident is considered a murder-suicide investigation by the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office,” said Lt. Michael Holmes, a sheriff’s office spokesperson.
These are the latest details to emerge from Friday’s grim scene, less than three miles from the Delaware State line.
Over the weekend, the sheriff’s office identified other members of the family as:
- Tara Devina Ricker Milligan, 37
- Teresa Milligan, 14
- Nora Milligan, 11
- Finn Milligan, 8
Background:Officials identify victims in Friday’s Cecil County home shooting as parents, 3 children
Child killed:27-year-old Magnolia man charged with murder of his 3-month-old son
“Marcus Milligan and Tara Milligan were married and parents to the three children,” Holmes said. “All of the deceased resided at the Hebron Court address.”
The bodies of the family were found inside the garage and in various parts of the two-story house. A semi-automatic handgun and cell phone were found near Milligan.
On Friday, reporters from the region parked along Hebron Hill, a road adjected to Hebron Court where some had set up cameras to catch glimpses of investigators working near the Milligans’ four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom home.
Police had cordoned off the acre the house sits on, using the family’s backyard swing set to tie a portion of the yellow crime tape. A large trampoline sat in the center of the cordoned yard.
Holmes said the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore performed autopsies and confirmed the family died from gunshot wounds.
This is a developing story. Check back with delawareonline.com for more information.
Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.
