Los Angeles - Man kills wife, five kids, himself after being fired

**dirtydog** · 28-01-2009, 05:41 PM

Man kills wife, five kids, himself after being fired

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A man apparently despondent about losing his job killed his wife and five children before turning the gun on himself, officials said Tuesday.

A photo on Ervin Lupoe's Facebook page shows his wife and five children.

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The bodies of five children and two adults -- the children's mother and father -- were found Tuesday in a home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Wilmington. Among the dead, authorities said, were an 8-year-old girl and two sets of twins -- 5-year-old girls and 2-year-old boys.

Ervin Lupoe apparently called 911 and contacted a television station by fax before committing suicide, authorities said.
"No words can describe this tragedy," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "There's no way to comprehend this unspeakable act."

Police were alerted by KABC-TV, who said the station had received a faxed letter and a call from an individual who was threatening suicide.

Responding officers found all seven bodies inside the home, said Capt. William Hayes.

Watch emergency crews arrive at the home »

Nearly simultaneously with the KABC call, a man called 911 and reported coming home and finding his family dead, Hayes said. But, Deputy Police Chief Kenneth Garner said, the man told KABC he had killed them.

A suicide note found at the scene "indicated a business dispute" between Lupoe and Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center, Hayes said. In the faxed note to KABC, the man said he was despondent over an employment situation, police said.

Kaiser Permanente said Lupoe and his wife, Ana, were both former employees of the medical center. Both had been terminated, Hayes said, with Lupoe's termination coming last week. It appears there were grounds for the termination, and it did not come as a result of layoffs, he said.
In Lupoe's suicide note, he offered a detailed account of his and his wife's work circumstances, calling the family's situation a "tragic story." He ended it by saying, "So after a horrendous ordeal my wife felt it better to end our lives and why leave our children in someone's else's hands."

"There is no reason to believe this is anything other than a murder-suicide," Lt. John Romero said. "There is no current threat to the community, no active search for a suspect."

The father and the three girls were found in one upstairs room of the home, the mother and twin boys in another, police said.

Deputy Police Chief Kenneth Garner described the scene as one of the most grisly police have encountered.

Authorities did not release the names of the woman and children.
"Unfortunately, this has become an all-too-common story in the last few months," Villaraigosa told reporters. He urged those who have lost jobs to take advantage of available assistance and resources, including mental health agencies.

"Job centers, foreclosure counselors, and mental health professionals are ready to provide whatever services are necessary to get people back on their feet and to keep families afloat," the mayor said in a written statement.

City Councilwoman Janice Hahn said, "No matter how desperate you are, no matter how frustrated you are, to think this was the only answer -- to take your whole family with you in death -- is just too much to understand."

Kaiser Permanente said it is cooperating with the police investigation.

"We are deeply saddened to hear of the deaths of the Lupoe family," the company said. "Our sympathies are with all their extended family and friends at this time. We are also providing resources and support to our employees who are affected by this tragedy."

A dozen police officers and detectives remained at the scene Tuesday afternoon and several surrounding blocks were sealed off by police.

Authorities said at an afternoon briefing that a community meeting would be held later in the day at a nearby church.

Man kills wife, five kids, himself after being fired - CNN.com

Police: LA Man Kills Wife, 5 Children, Himself

A father apparently distraught over job problems shot and killed his wife and five young children and then committed suicide Tuesday at their home south of Los Angeles, police said. (Jan. 27)

**Bluecat** · 28-01-2009, 06:26 PM

This is another advantage of being able to own a gun freely, you've got a problem, you kill the whole family and yourself, no need to think much.
Clean, neat and fast.
Poor Europeans are just slashing their wrists, jumping in front of a train, jumping from a high rise building...
Which makes it a bit more difficult for the family to participate.
American efficiency.

**Loy Toy** · 28-01-2009, 07:04 PM

As a husband, father and family man I am completely and utterly stunned how a father can do such a thing.

Obviously much more to the story and tragic ending then meets the eye.

Gun laws or no gun laws this man carried some demons within which made him commit a most evil crime.

**Boon Mee** · 28-01-2009, 07:20 PM

Yeah...let's not let this tragic story degenerate into another gun-bash thread.
Bottom line - personal responsibility vs. government telling the folks how to live their lives...

**Bluecat** · 28-01-2009, 07:40 PM

The gun-bashing was just a "joke", a bad one indeed.
What is more worrisome is the fact that some people can go to such extremes when losing their job.
But well, hopefully he's an exception.

**panama hat** · 28-01-2009, 08:10 PM

5 children probably a massive mortgage, school fees, car loans, personal loans . . . and the rest.

I can, kind of, understand his feeling of being in a dead-end street . . . but to kill the wife and children?

**Loy Toy** · 28-01-2009, 08:28 PM

^ I would say that there was other sinister circumstances and as he was apparently fired (along with his wife) from his job something smells fishy.

Take a step back and look at your own family and ask yourself could you ever do such a thing.

Even if his situation was bleak the parents could of grouped together and remained a family and survived on socisal welfare until they got back up on their feet.

**Boon Mee** · 28-01-2009, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by panama hat

5 children probably a massive mortgage, school fees, car loans, personal loans . . . and the rest.

I can, kind of, understand his feeling of being in a dead-end street . . . but to kill the wife and children?

As the world's economy gets worse (and we know it's going to) unfortunately, we can expect to read about more of these events.

**Texpat** · 28-01-2009, 08:49 PM

I lived a few miles from that med center, Kaiser Permanente, that this guy and his wife were both fired from. If he lived anywhere near Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach or Palos Verdes, and had bought his home recently with one of those gimmick mortgages, probably wouldn't last a month on unemployment.

It appears there were grounds for the termination, and it did not come as a result of layoffs, he said.

Definitely more to the story...

**Boon Mee** · 28-01-2009, 08:53 PM

Originally Posted by Texpat

I lived a few miles from that med center, Kaiser Permanente, that this guy and his wife were both fired from. If he lived anywhere near Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach or Palos Verdes, and had bought his home recently with one of those gimmick mortgages, probably wouldn't last a month on unemployment.

It appears there were grounds for the termination, and it did not come as a result of layoffs, he said.

Definitely more to the story...

Don't think he could have afforded Palos Verdes even with both of their salarys. Probably one of those 'gritty' neighborhoods in Lawndale or Manhattan Beach is my bet...

**blackgang** · 28-01-2009, 09:01 PM

Originally Posted by panama hat

5 children probably a massive mortgage, school fees, car loans, personal loans . . . and the rest.

No school fees in California, even Mexicans cross daily to attend school in the USA, school fees are paid by the property owners taxes, thats the way it is in most states unless you send them to Catholic or a private school of some kind and then the state gives vouchers to pay all or a good part of those even.
Over the years I have had 3 graduate from high school and my last kid is in Jr. High this year.

**blackgang** · 28-01-2009, 09:08 PM

Wilmington is down on the waterfront by the Queen Mary, more of an industrial area, not the Laguna Beach, Palos Verdes, Laguna Nigel type neighborhoods.
Least thats what I remember of it from working on the I-405 thru there and lived in an apt there for awhile, few months.

**panama hat** · 28-01-2009, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by blackgang

Over the years I have had 3 graduate from high school and my last kid is in Jr. High this year.

Quite an achievement. Kudos to you. Sincerely.

Even if there were other factors involved in his and his wife's dismissal . . . to kill your own children . . . I'd quote LT, but it is self-explanatory

**English Noodles** · 28-01-2009, 10:28 PM

Too much fast food is my bet, chemical imbalance innit.

**Rural Surin** · 28-01-2009, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by panama hat

5 children probably a massive mortgage, school fees, car loans, personal loans . . . and the rest.

I can, kind of, understand his feeling of being in a dead-end street . . . but to kill the wife and children?

The American Dream of living beyond one's means is not a good teacher.

DaffyDuck · 29-01-2009, 04:22 AM

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

As a husband, father and family man I am completely and utterly stunned how a father can do such a thing.

Obviously much more to the story and tragic ending then meets the eye.

Probably not really 'much more than meets the eye'.

There's a *lot* of emotionally and mentally unstable people in this world, particularly a place like Los Angeles, that are always teetering on the edge, and it doesn't take much to push them over it.

Pragmatically speaking, it's probably a blessing to have someone like that off himself, and take his entire puddle of the gene pool with him, albeit it is tragic that 5 innocent children had to pay the price for Daddy's headwhack.

These things are very rarely just a sudden snap. Albeit probably well hidden from public, at the very least his wife and kids must have had indications of this descent.

In my opinion, it's less tragic what happened here in the end, but rather that this was allowed by our society to develop to this point.

**kingwilly** · 29-01-2009, 06:22 AM

Originally Posted by DaffyDuck

Albeit probably well hidden from public, at the very least his wife and kids must have had indications of this descent.

his wife was part of it, she agreed with it accordign the OP

**Carnwadrick** · 29-01-2009, 06:53 AM

Originally Posted by dirtydog

In Lupoe's suicide note, he offered a detailed account of his and his wife's work circumstances, calling the family's situation a "tragic story." He ended it by saying, "So after a horrendous ordeal my wife felt it better to end our lives and why leave our children in someone's else's hands."

A faithful husband just did what his wife told him...also in the suicide note he described how his supervisor had told him he "should just go home and blow his brains out".
really tragic
BG they lived in a residential neighborhood in Wilmington.

**Rural Surin** · 29-01-2009, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by kingwilly

Originally Posted by DaffyDuck

Albeit probably well hidden from public, at the very least his wife and kids must have had indications of this descent.

his wife was part of it, she agreed with it accordign the OP

Self-important gits. That's fine, if they agreed to take their own lives {over a job

} - allow their children a life. What about Grandparents?

**English Noodles** · 29-01-2009, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by Rural Surin

Self-important gits. That's fine, if they agreed to take their own lives {over a job} - allow their children a life. What about Grandparents?

Yep, that's what I was thinking too, What about Grandparents - why were they not murdered along with the rest of the family, does seem rather selfish to have excluded them just because of there age.

Probably in a home too.

**Texpat** · 29-01-2009, 03:30 PM

Aunts, uncles, cousins ...

Make room for more Mexicans.

**robuzo** · 29-01-2009, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by Bluecat

This is another advantage of being able to own a gun freely, you've got a problem, you kill the whole family and yourself, no need to think much.
Clean, neat and fast.
Poor Europeans are just slashing their wrists, jumping in front of a train, jumping from a high rise building...
Which makes it a bit more difficult for the family to participate.
American efficiency.

Actually, it is pretty much normal for Japanese mothers to take their kids with them, so to speak, when they decide to kill themselves. It is not unheard of for Japanese fathers to do so, too. I recall the story of a man who lost his job, was ruined financially, and took his wife and two kids for a final fling at Disneyland, where they spared no expense for the weekend. When they checked out the mother took one kid, the father the other, and they circumvented the front desk altogether by leaping from the hotel room's balcony.

Japan has a vastly higher suicide rate than the US. It might be higher were firearms available in Japan, but I doubt. My point is that someone determined to off themselves and their wife and kids is not likely to be dissuaded by lack of access to a gun.

**Texpat** · 29-01-2009, 04:39 PM

^ well said.

Steep cliffs are as efficient as guns.

**Boon Mee** · 29-01-2009, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by Texpat

^ well said.

Steep cliffs are as efficient as guns.

Don't tell that to the Lemmings who want to take away your guns tho...

**blackgang** · 29-01-2009, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by Carnwadrick

BG they lived in a residential neighborhood in Wilmington.

Right, I did too when I was working there for awhile then I went to work on the San Fernando end and bought a home just a few blocks up Haskel Ave. from the Bud Brewery in Van Nuys/Reseda area.
But as I explained, it is more industrialized and different from the silk knickers areas mentioned by Tex and BM.

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