OXFORD, Mass. — A man who had recently separated from his wife shot his two children, killing his 7-year-old daughter, before committing suicide, prosecutors said.
A family member called police Saturday night after finding the bodies of 41-year-old Daryl Benway and his daughter, Abigail, in the master bedroom of their two-story Oxford home, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said. Benway’s 9-year-old son, Owen, was found shot in the head in the kitchen and was taken to UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center in serious condition.
Benway’s wife, Kelleen, returned home after the shootings, unaware of what had happened, and found a swarm of police cruisers and television crews, Early said. She was taken to the children’s hospital, where authorities told her the fates of her children and husband.
Neighbors told the Telegram & Gazette that Daryl Benway’s brother Shawn lived on the first floor of the home with his wife and mother. Shawn Benway called 911 to report the shootings, Early said.
Daryl and Kelleen Benway separated three or four weeks ago but were still married, Early said. He said he couldn’t speculate on a motive.
No restraining orders had been filed against Daryl Benway, and he had no criminal record, the DA said. He had a gun license that expired in 1999, Early said.
“It doesn’t get much worse than this,” Early said. “It’s a horrible scene, a horrible situation.”