Family of 4, including a 7-month-old and a 6-year-old, dead in Montana murder-suicide
A couple and their two young children were found dead in a northwest Montana home after a man opened fire on his family, called 911 and died by suicide, authorities said Monday.
Police in Kalispell, a city of just under 30,000 in the shadow of Glacier National Park, said the man had made disquieting statements to a 911 operator before officers responded to the home in the Silverbrook Estates community just before 6 a.m. Sunday.
Officers discovered the family, including a 7-month-old and a 6-year-old, dead from gunshot wounds in the home, Kalispell Police Chief Jordan Venezio said.
The mother was identified by police as Katie Olson-Hartley, 27; the father and suspected shooter was identified as Nicholas Olson-Hartley, 33.
"After collecting evidence throughout the day and interviewing numerous people, we believe this tragic event to be the result of a murder-suicide," Venezio said.
The chief said investigators believe Nicholas Olson-Hartley had killed his family before he dialed 911 and made unspecified statements officials described only as "concerning."
"It appears Nicholas Olson-Hartley took the lives of his young family before calling 911," Venezio said. "After making the phone call to dispatch, he took his own life."
The incidents remained under investigation, the chief said.
The deaths were discovered a day after a husband, wife and their two teenage children were found dead inside their home in Nebraska in a suspected murder-suicide, according to Nebraska State Patrol.
In Montana, court records show that Nicholas Olson-Hartley filed a marriage license application that includes his wife's name in 2018. Katie Olson-Hartley's Facebook page, which was verified by NBC News, proudly displays the children, both girls, in numerous photographs.
In 2023, she characterized a photo featuring Nicholas Olson-Hartley and herself amid fall foliage as a loving portrait. "This is how people look at each other in movies when they're in love," Katie Olson-Hartley wrote in a comment.
The neighborhood, a planned community called Silverbrook Estates adjacent to the Stillwater River, features homes built in the last five years, some listed for sale with asking prices of more than $1 million
The community's developer, Westcraft Homes, said in a statement on Monday, "We are deeply saddened by the recent tragic loss of one of our Silverbrook families. Our thoughts, prayers, and heartfelt condolences go out to all who are grieving — especially the extended family, neighbors, and friends affected by this unimaginable tragedy."
It urged neighbors to appreciate each other.
"Let us honor the lives lost by fostering kindness, reaching out, and lifting one another up," it said. "Let us support, listen, and show compassion. Together, we can help by choosing compassion and knowledge."
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