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March 29, 2024

Boy, 9, goes to school to report deaths of mother, sister

Memorial

Nadine Guy

Shown is the memorial on April 25, 2012 that has been made for the mother and daughter found dead inside their home on Robin Street near Washington Avenue. On April 16, 2012, officers responded to the house when a boy, 9, went to school and told staff that his mother and sister were dead at home.

Updated Monday, April 16, 2012 | 3:41 p.m.

9-year-old reports death of mother, sister

KSNV coverage of a young boy going to school to report the death of his mother and sister, April 16. 2012.

Multiple Death Investigation

Shown is the memorial on April 25, 2012 that has been made for the mother and daughter found dead inside their home on Robin Street near Washington Avenue. On April 16, 2012, officers responded to the house when a boy, 9, went to school and told staff that his mother and sister were dead at home. Launch slideshow »

Investigation ongoing

A girl and woman were found dead Monday morning inside a single-family home near Washington Avenue and Tonopah Drive, triggering a double-homicide investigation, Metro Police said.

Police said patrol officers discovered the bodies about 8:40 a.m. at a home in the 1000 block of Robin Street after an unspecified person called to report the deaths.

Police initially said a 9-year-old boy arrived distressed Monday morning at school and told staff that his mother and sister were dead at home. By Monday afternoon, police declined to elaborate about that chain of events.

Clark County School District officials, however, confirmed officials at Hoggard Elementary School contacted authorities Monday morning after learning of a “potential concern in this student’s home.”

The 9-year-old attends Hoggard Elementary School, where the deceased girl also was a student. The school is about a half-mile from the scene of the homicides.

“Our leaders and community at Hoggard Elementary School struggle to sort out emotions and details of a tragedy that claimed the life of a student at home this weekend,” school officials said in a statement.

Metro spokesman Jay Rivera said another person found inside the home was being treated for undisclosed injuries at a hospital. Earlier in the day, police said, in addition to the bodies, officers found an injured man in the home along with an unharmed 4-year-old boy.

No arrests have been made, Rivera said. Police said evidence did not indicate a home invasion, but detectives were interviewing witnesses to establish a timeline.

Rivera would not confirm the relationship of the victims, but he said a married couple lived in the home. Animal Control arrived shortly after noon to take possession of a family dog found at the house.

Homicide detectives secured a search warrant for the home late Monday morning and were investigating a “very tragic” situation, Rivera said.

It’s unclear how the pair died or when. The department was not releasing more information about the circumstances to “maintain the integrity of the investigation,” Rivera said.

“Our primary focus is to not rush the investigation,” he said. “We get one shot at the scene.”

School district spokeswoman Amanda Fulkerson said a crisis-response team was tending to student needs at Hoggard Elementary School.

“We applaud our educational leaders who took immediate action to notify officials upon learning that there was a potential concern in this student’s home,” she said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Lucinda Jackson-Griffin, who said she lives next door to the victims’ home, described the family as friendly people who exchanged greetings and small talk with her outside.

“This is a pretty good neighborhood,” she said. “It’s an older neighborhood, but everyone knows each other.”

Jackson-Griffin said the man who lived at the home was an electrician, prompting short conversations about the economy when the two saw each other because she works in the construction industry.

Neighbors woke her early Monday morning to the unfolding situation next door. By the time she got outside, she saw police cars and a helicopter swarming the residence.

“You never know how people live,” she said. “You never know what goes on in the house.”

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