In a shocking incident just outside Atlanta, Georgia, three young siblings lost their lives in what authorities are describing as a murder-suicide. The bodies of the children, along with that of their mother’s former boyfriend, were discovered by police officers along a roadside.
The Gwinnett County Police Department identified the deceased children as Arianny Arias Rodriguez, 13, Carlos Michelle Rodriguez, 9, and Chadal Rodriguez, 11. The suspected shooter was named as 56-year-old Jose Plascencia from Norcross, Georgia.
The children’s mother, Karina Rodriguez, had allowed Plascencia, her ex-partner, to take the children out for a meal on May 8. At the time, she was at a local hospital with another child, who she also shared with Plascencia. She agreed to remain at the hospital while Plascencia took the Rodriguez siblings out.
The bodies were discovered in the early hours of the morning near Lucky Shoals Park on Britt Road. Police officers were investigating a suspicious vehicle parked on a pedestrian trail when they made the grim discovery. Despite attempts to communicate with any potential occupants, the officers received no response. Upon closer inspection, they found the bodies of the four individuals inside the car.
According to the police, all three children had been shot, and it appeared that Plascencia had taken his own life. The tragic incident has left the community in shock and mourning.
In a heartfelt message on a GoFundMe page, Karina Rodriguez expressed her devastation at the loss of her “three little angels.” She described her world as being shattered, stating that her children were her everything. She also mentioned that she had played the role of both mother and father to them, ensuring they never lacked anything.
Rodriguez plans to use the funds raised through the GoFundMe campaign to arrange for her children’s burial in her home country, the Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, the police continue their investigation into the tragic incident, despite the suspected shooter being deceased.