Police say father killed family, fatally shot self at Phoenix home

PHOENIX — A 44-year-old man killed his wife and three young children before taking his own life at their Phoenix home, authorities said Thursday.

Jasen Michael Hudgens, who was among five people dead found inside a house near Seventh and Northern avenues Wednesday morning, is the suspect in the case, the Phoenix Police Department said.

The victims were identified as his wife, 40-year-old Marla Jordan Hudgens, and their three children, a 3-year-old boy and 6-month-old twin girls.

The suspect died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

The victims all had obvious signs of trauma, but police didn’t specify their cause of death.

Investigators are still working to determine what led up to the incident.

A 911 call led to police, firefighters and hazardous materials teams being dispatched to the home around 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Police said there was an open propane tank and gas line detached from a kitchen appliance inside the house.

Because of the gas presence, it took several hours before investigators could enter the home. Police said Wednesday afternoon the case was considered a homicide, but few details were made available.

Television station video from the scene showed a propane tank in a large taped-off area around the house and multiple emergency response vehicles in the neighborhood.

“This is an extremely tragic situation for everyone involved,” police spokesperson Sgt. Melissa Soliz told reporters outside the home.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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