Triple murder-suicide horror at Maleny

A TEENAGED boy discovered his mother, father and grandmother shot dead in a murder-suicide near Maleny early yesterday.

A TEENAGED boy discovered his mother, father and grandmother shot dead in a murder-suicide near Maleny early yesterday.

Police said the 17-year-old boy discovered his 42-year-old father and 40-year-old mother each with a single gunshot wound to the head in their 4WD on their property on the Maleny-Kenilworth Road at Witta, north of Maleny, about 7.30am yesterday.

Inspector Mark Henderson of the Sunshine Coast police said the boy later discovered his grandmother, aged about 60, in the second home on their property. She had also suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

Inspector Henderson said at this stage police were treating the deaths, which have traumatised the small rural community, as a murder-suicide.

??At this stage we think the husband has shot the wife and has shot the mother-in-law and then turned the gun on himself,?? Inspector Henderson told reporters yesterday.

He said the 17-year-old boy and his 14-year-old sister were in the house at the time of the shooting.

Inspector Henderson said a note written by the father had been found at the scene.

He said that the son had told police he had spoken to his parents the night before and there was no indication his parents had been arguing.

??The 17-year-old son talked about mum and dad sitting by the fire having a chat before he went to bed and had woken up this morning and found them dead in the car,?? Inspector Henderson said.

He said no shots were heard by the children.

Inspector Henderson said a .22 calibre sawn-off rifle was found in the 4WD where the bodies of the man and woman were found.

??One would suggest that with the windows closed the sound mightn??t have got out,?? he said.

Inspector Henderson said the man and the woman were believed to be estranged.

He said the man lived in one house with the two children while his wife lived in another smaller property with her mother.

The family, originally from NSW, was believed to have moved to the area about three years ago.

Inspector Henderson said the children were currently being spoken to by Juvenile Aid Bureau Detectives and were receiving counselling. ?r- AAP

Originally published as Triple murder-suicide horror at Maleny