Firefighter Shoots Wife, Kids, Self, June 13, 2000

LAKEVILLE, Mass. (AP) - A veteran firefighter shot his wife and two young children to death, then killed himself with the same gun, authorities said.

The bodies of Paul Riley, 53, a fire lieutenant in nearby Brockton, and his family were found Monday on the second floor of their home. Authorities went to the house after learning that the family had not been seen since Friday.

Riley's wife Alicia, 37, was found in a bathroom. The children - Matthew, 6, and Erin, 2 - were found tucked in their beds in pajamas in their separate bedrooms.

Plymouth County District Attorney Michael Sullivan said the handgun was found near Riley's body in a bedroom. He said investigators were not certain how many shots were fired or how long the family had been dead. There were no signs of struggle, he said.

Police said there was no record of family or marital discord.

"He was an easygoing, quiet, mild-mannered person," Brockton Deputy Chief Timothy Murphy said of Riley, a 27-year veteran of the town's fire department.