A father and his two children from the Pittsburgh area died on Election Day in what police are saying appeared to be a murder-suicide.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office identified the father as Patrick Lynch, 42, and the children as James Lynch, 8, and Caroline Lynch, 6, NBC News reported.
While an investigation was ongoing, police said it appeared the three had fallen to their death from a parking garage in Mt. Lebanon on Nov. 3.
Pittsburgh-area father, children die in apparent murder-suicide
The apparent murder-suicide took place on Nov. 3 in Mt. Lebanon, about a 15-minute drive from Pittsburgh's Mt. Washington neighborhood.
Lynch and his two children were found unresponsive on Municipal Way by a parking garage at about 4:16 p.m., when an individual called 911, according to Allegheny County Police
Department and Mt. Lebanon Police Department. First responders noted that they all appeared to have injuries from an apparent fall, and though life-saving measures were taken, the three were pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives from both agencies were investigating the incident, with Allegheny Police noting that preliminary information indicated that the deaths appeared to be the result of a murder-suicide.
Pittsburgh-area community grieves father, children after apparent murder-suicide
The day after Lynch and his children died, a memorial was set up on Florida Avenue, with community members gathering in the evening at St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Parish’s St. Bernard Church.
Rev. Brian Welding led the vigil, TribLIVE reported, where the community grieved with prayers and hymns.
The memorial on Florida Avenue included items from the children's friends and classmates, including flowers, stuffed animals, slime and candles, WPXI reported.
Thousands donate to GoFundMe for mother of children killed in apparent murder-suicide
A GoFundMe campaign organized by a friend of the family had raised $178,114 by Nov. 5 at 12 p.m.
Gina Pugliano, the campaign's organizer, said the funds would go to supporting Anna Lynch, wife of Patrick Lynch and mother of the children. She was listed as a co-organizer on the fundraiser.
"Nothing I write here will bring her babies back and give her any sense of justice or peace," Pugliano wrote. "If we, her family and friends, can ease the financial burden of having to bury her children and her husband, it would be a relief."
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pittsburgh-area father, two children dead in apparent murder-suicide
