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Elderly Hamilton Co. couple killed by son in Christmas Day murder-suicide

Posted at 3:25 PM, Dec 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-27 18:47:11-05

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ind. -- An elderly couple were killed by their 48-year-old son in a double murder-suicide on Christmas Day.

Deputies were called to the home on the 11200 block of E. 191st Street around 4:35 p.m. for a report of a shooting. When they arrived at the home, officers found the bodies of Donald Moon, 84, his wife Joyce Moon, 81, and their son Todd Moon, 48. 

Investigators determined that Todd had called his sister to the home where he lived with his parents and his children, 8-year-old twins, whom he had custody of. When she arrived at the home, the sister said there appeared to be an ongoing argument between her brother and her mother which escalated to the point where Todd pulled out a gun and shot at his mother multiple times.

The sister told investigators she then grabbed the twins and ran from the home as Todd went to the back bedroom where his father was at and fired several more shots. As they were fleeing the home, the sister said she then heard one single gunshot which she believed was Todd taking his own life. 

Distraught, the sister drover the twins to the nearest fire station and called for help. 

When officers arrived they found three bodies in the home. Joyce was found in the front hallway, Donald was found in the rear bedroom and Todd was found near the kitchen. All three were pronounced dead at the scene. 

The Hamilton County Coroner completed autopsies on the three Wednesday morning and determined that Joyce and Donald had died from multiple gunshot wounds. Their deaths are being considered homicides. Todd died from a single gunshot wound to the head, which the coroner says they have classified as a suicide. 

The sister told investigators she was unsure what the argument that led to the shooting was about. 

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said Todd had lived at his parents home with the twins for at least the past five years and there had been no previous reported calls to the residence other than one call for potential phone fraud from several years ago. There were no criminal charges or backgrounds on any of the three involved and there was no history of mental illness or domestic violence.

The 8-year-old twins are staying with a family member at this time while the Department of Child Services contacts their mother in Baltimore to determine where they will go. They are both receiving counseling because of the situation. 

The cause of the shooting and the situation surrounding it are still under investigation by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department. 

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Department held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to release the latest information in the case. 

"Obviously, the holidays are a time for family and friends to gather for good times, but clearly during the holidays some folks find themselves in great stress so we would certainly encourage folks who are experiencing that to reach out for help," said Hamilton County Sheriff Mark Bowen. "There are plenty of services available. If you're feeling bad, if you're having issues, need help or have concerns reach out - we will connect you with the services you need to get you through those difficult times."

You can watch that full press conference below.

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