A couple and their 12-year-old son were found shot dead in their Andover home early Thursday morning, police said. Andover Police Chief Pat Keefe said they received an emergency call from the family’s Porter Road home just after 3:21 a.m. Police arrived about five minutes later and “had to break down two doors to get into the house.”
“They found the father, mother and a 12-year-old son dead. The wounds were from gunshot wounds,” Keefe told reporters at a news conference. They were later identified as Andrew Robinson, 56, his wife Linda, 55, and their son Sebastian.
“This incident appears to be a tragic case of domestic violence and murder-suicide,” the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. “Andrew Robinson died from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker said Andover Police had spoken to the boy’s school, St John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, where he was in Year 6, and classes had been canceled for the day.
“When I spoke to his teachers this morning, they kept describing him as a very gentle person, very grateful to be part of the prep community, had a great circle of friends, and really enjoyed our music program, to our of the Campus Minister program, and was just a very popular guy because he was a gentle soul,” Chancellor Ed Hardiman said Thursday.
There is no danger to the public and the scene is “under control,” Tucker said. He declined to comment on who called 911 at home.
Police remained outside the house on Port Road in Andover, where they said three people were found shot dead inside, with one of the victims a sixth-form student at St John’s Preparatory School, which canceled classes today.
“I also want to make sure we recognize the first responders here. The difficulty of dealing with these scenarios, we just have to look back over the past few weeks in Massachusetts, our first responders, state police investigators, our local detectives, local police, firefighters We pay tribute to some of the hardships experienced by medical personnel and first responders, which can also be an emotional need. We always care about their welfare. These men and women have done an amazing job under very difficult circumstances,” Tucker said. Refers to recent cases in Duxbury and Cohasset.
Jim Greer lived nearby. He said he didn’t know the family but walked past the house with his dog every day.
“Very, very concerning,” Greer said, adding that it was reassuring to know that police said there was no danger to the public. “Andover is a very safe neighborhood. I’ve lived here for about 40 years. Things like this happen everywhere. Unfortunately, no area is immune to gun violence.”
