Allen, Texas family of four found dead in murder suicide as victims identified as Farman and Layla Sherwani and their two sons, Shaheen and Mateen. Killings come 3 weeks after daughter drowned in a swimming pool.
A family of four have been found dead at a Texas home in an apparent murder-suicide, just weeks after their toddler daughter drowning in a swimming pool.
The victims were identified as father, Farman Sherwani, mother Layla Sherwani, 12-year-old son Shaheen Sherwani and 2-year-old son Mateen Sherwani.
Police also confirmed the family lost their 4-year-old daughter Lyian Sherwani to a drowning earlier this month.
Toddler daughter’s drowning believed to be factor in murder suicide
Police had been called to Aberdeen Drive in Allen, Texas, on Monday morning in response to a welfare check.
A resident had called officers after they’d been locked out of the home for about two hours and couldn’t get anyone to come to the door.
Upon making their way inside the property, cops made the macabre discovery of the deceased family members. The victims were killed as a result of a shooting. Police declined to say who was the killer, FOX4 reported.
A regard of Farman Sherwani’s Linkldn profile described him as a Machinery Mechanic at Mary Kay Inc since November, 2015.
Allen Police Sgt. Jonathan Maness confirmed that detectives think the girl’s drowning ‘is believed to be a factor,’ in the Allen, Texas murder suicide of the family of four.
Family struggling to cope with recent tragedy
The Islamic Association of Allen confirmed that the family members were part of the local Muslim community.
Imam Abdul Rahman Bashir, the religious director for the Islamic Association of Allen, told NBC: ‘Waking up to the news of losing a four member family all of a sudden is not something that anyone can be prepared for, family members or let alone anyone in the community, so it’s been a very heavy day for everyone in the community’
Bashir says the family was already going through a rough situation with the drowning of their daughter.
He continued: ‘In this type of situation, it’s not easy for any family. In spite of having many family members here, they were really broken.’
Neighbor Jacqueline Soto told NBC: ‘It was just really sad and hard and all of us felt for the family as we were watching them mourn in the front yard.’
In a letter issued by Susanne Miller, the Principal of nearby Olson Elementary, she said: ‘Today I was notified of the unexpected death of a 5th grade Olson Elementary Student.
‘We are all shocked and saddened by this news. I ask that you please keep the family and loved ones in your thoughts over the coming days and months.’
A funeral was held for the family on Tuesday at 5pm, which is customary in Islamic tradition.
In a similar incident just a few years ago, a family of six who belonged to the same mosque were killed in a murder-suicide in Allen.
Allen, with a population of over 111,000 people, is about 25 miles north of Dallas.
