In a gruesome incident, a Rhode Island man fatally shot all his family members, including his seven-month pregnant wife before taking his own life last week.

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The man, Nicholas Arruda, 39, reportedly used a semi-automatic carbine to shoot his wife Danielle and their two kids before shooting himself. The murder-suicide took place in West Greenwich, a rural area southwest of Providence.

According to the police statement, the M4-style weapon was used in the shooting. “However, a formal firearms examination has not yet been conducted,” it added.

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Danielle, 39, was seven months pregnant at the time of the murder, according to Fall River Reporter.

The couple, along with their two kids, aged two and five, were found dead in their home on Friday (Jan 3), according to the Boston Globe. Reportedly, the Police found the family after a welfare check when Danielle did not show up for work for a few days.

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All four family members were found wearing pyjamas when they died, said Police Chief Richard Ramsay. He added that the scene was “one of the worst” that he came across in his 30-year career.

Danielle was last seen alive on New Year’s Day and worked as a paralegal at Marinosci Law Group. There was no indication of strife at the scene of the incident, according to reports. The couple seemed to have “loved one another and they loved their children,” said the police chief. He also added that the family bought their Cheyenne Trail home in 2019 and the cops have never been there.

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The couple went to the same high school and got married in 2017, reported the Globe. Nicholas had a past arrest record for felony assault about 11 years ago. During that time he was in another relationship. He had worked as a painter earlier but was unemployed for several years after a back injury.

“He was a stay-at-home dad who was homeschooling the children,” Ramsey said. He added that it may never be clear why the man chose to kill his entire family, saying cases like this one are “pretty much self-explanatory.”

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“But we still have to go through all the motions to find out,” he said. “If there’s anything that somebody missed, any reason that would lead someone to do what he had done to his family.”

(With inputs from agencies)