Dad Killed Wife, 2 Daughters and Brother, Then Texted Relative to Say What He'd Done Before Shooting Himself

The deceased were identified by family as Stuart Rouse, 64, Cristina Rouse, 63, Eric Rouse, 57, Kristina Rouse, 33, and Melissa Rouse, 19

Five family members in Washington are dead in an apparent murder-suicide, authorities say. Police believe a man shot and killed his wife, daughters and brother before turning the gun on himself on Sunday.

The bodies were found inside a home in Vancouver, Wash., the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies responded to the home after a person called the sheriff’s office and reported they had received a text from a family member saying he had harmed others in the home, the sheriff’s office says.

Police have not released the names of the deceased, but The Columbian reported that an in-law identified them as Stuart Rouse, 64, Cristina Rouse, 63, Eric Rouse, 57, Kristina Rouse, 33, and Melissa Rouse, 19. The Oregonian identified Stuart as the shooter.

A surviving son of Stuart told The Oregonian that his father was a Navy veteran who suffered from undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder and had lost another son to suicide two years ago.

“The Clark County Sheriff’s Office responded to a tragic event in the Orchards area Sunday afternoon,” Sheriff John Horch said in a statement. “Inside the residence, deputies discovered five individuals who were deceased. Four victims were killed by a fifth family member who, in turn, took their own life. Our condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of those who were lost to this senseless tragedy.”

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Relatives of the Rouse family started a GoFundMe in wake of the shooting, which has already raised over $15,000.

“We’re still in disbelief and our hearts are shattered,” organizer Anne Aquino wrote. “Please keep our family in your prayers, and we are deeply grateful for your help as we, very difficultly, still try to process the grief of their passing.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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