‘Depressed’ New Hampshire mother Emily Long shoots family before killing herself

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A New Hampshire mother shot dead her cancer-battling husband and their two young children before turning the gun on herself, according to state prosecutors who said they are investigating the killings as a murder-suicide.

Emily Long, 34, who had spoken about her struggles with depression online only two days earlier, carried out the killings early Monday inside the family’s home on Moharimet Drive in Madbury, a small town in the Seacoast region northwest of Portsmouth, according to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.

Police responded to the scene just before 8:30 p.m. after a 911 call reported multiple people dead inside.

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Troopers found the bodies of Emily and her husband, Ryan Long, 48, along with their son Parker, 8, and daughter Ryan, 6.

A third child, a toddler, was found alive and suffered no physical injuries.

“Each of the deceased family members appears to have suffered gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene,” the attorney general’s office said. “Detectives continue to investigate this event as a potential murder/suicide.”

Autopsies took place throughout Wednesday, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Concord determined that Emily used a handgun from the home to carry out the killings in the early hours of Monday morning. 

Autopsies determined that Ryan ⁠⁠died from multiple gunshot wounds, while Parker died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Their deaths were ruled homicides.

The tragedy came just days after Emily shared her ongoing struggles in a chilling video on social media, authorities said.

Assistant Attorney General Ben Agati said one of the biggest questions investigators face right now is motive.

“And I think that’s probably one of the more difficult things that they are trying to grasp, to understand how this came to be,” Agati told WCAX.

The attorney general’s office appealed to the public not to jump to conclusions.

“While investigators are becoming aware of various concerns/issues ongoing in the household at the time of the event in question, people should avoid speculating that this event was caused by a single reason or stressor,” the statement reads. 

Ryan, a school psychologist at Oyster River Middle School in Durham, was reportedly diagnosed with glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer, according to the New York Post.

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Emily, who, according to her LinkedIn, was the director of operations at a New Hampshire restaurant chain, posted on TikTok Saturday to her nearly 8,000 followers, admitting her children were “definitely struggling” and that she had been “really depressed,” per the outlet. She said she was trying to reestablish healthy routines and a sense of normalcy at home as her husband’s health worsened.

“I am determined to create normalcy,” Emily said in the video, adding that she was trying to get dressed in proper clothes more often. 

“I have been struggling so much and really depressed and have really become reclusive and just wanted to be with my kids and my husband. That being said, I’m making a change and it is starting today … And I’m making a point to get out of my depression and do this for my family.”

The attorney general’s office said there is no known threat to the public and that no updates will be given until after all autopsies have been conducted.

Neighbors said the Longs appeared to be a perfect family.

“It was shocking,” neighbor Bevy Ketel told WBZ-TV. “It was a perfect family, as far as we knew.”

“It’s so sad to think that that little girl is gone,” Ketel added, noting Ryan was well-known in the town.

“He certainly touched a lot of lives. He was part of the fabric of the community, and his family went along with it.”

Ketel said the children had recently set up a stand to sell lemonade to neighbors.

“It’s just shocking. We didn’t see it coming,” she said.

Fox News’ Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.