Family identified after mother kills two young children, husband then herself

A mother who fatally shot her husband, two young children and then turned the gun on herself has been named.

Marine Basmajian, 29, killed her husband Khajag Basmajian, 31, their two-year-old son, and their six-day-old daughter, Alec and Ella, before taking her own life.

The tragedy unfolded at approximately 8pm local time on Wednesday, May 27, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

Officers raced to the family’s £619,010 home in North Hills after reports of gunshots were received. The circumstances that led to the devastating incident remain unknown.

A neighbour conveyed the profound grief felt throughout the local community in the wake of the shocking news.

“It’s so depressing, it’s so devastating for everyone.” Karen Banuelos told the Los Angeles Times. “To get possessed to do that? It’s just, there’s no words,” she added.

A GoFundMe page established following the deaths has paid tribute to Marine as a devoted and loving mother.

The fundraiser said: “Marine was a caring mother and wife who found comfort in organisation and enjoyed gatherings among her loved ones.”

Her husband Khajag, a Staff Cloud Platform Engineer at financial operations software platform BlackLine, was honoured as a “devoted husband, loving father, cherished son, brother, and friend.”

The tribute read: “To know him is to love him. With a beaming smile on his face and a positive outlook on life, he was truly a friend you could count on.”

The page also noted that two-year-old Alec had been thrilled at the arrival of his newborn baby sister. It says: “Alec brought joy and laughter wherever he went. With his bright smile and cheerful eyes taking after his father, he loved his toy vehicles and getting a taste for life one bite at a time (ice cream was his favorite).

“Alec couldn’t wait to meet his baby sister Ella who only lived to see the world Earth side for 6 days,” the fundraiser detailed.

Banuelos recounted hearing a ‘commotion’ though didn’t register gunfire at the time.

She went on to say that she witnessed police officers turning up at the family’s residence from her window, and spotted a relative rushing from the house in floods of tears.

She clarified that she discovered what had transpired after the children’s grandfather informed one of her neighbours.

Another neighbour, who preferred to stay anonymous, stated that they had never witnessed the family arguing.

They described seeing Khajag disposing of rubbish at approximately 7pm, roughly an hour before gunshots were heard, while she was walking her dog.

Another local resident Paula Smith, revealed she had been completely unaware of what was unfolding at the time.

“We live a few blocks away and we heard all the helicopters last night. We didn’t know what was going on,” she told the local news outlet through tears.

“But to wake up this morning and to hear about this and these kids, it’s really heartbreaking. So go home and love the people you love. If someone is hurting, please reach out. Don’t be ashamed.”

You don’t have to suffer in silence if you’re struggling with your mental health.

Samaritans: Phone 116 123, 24 hours a day, or email [email protected] in confidence