An Indian-origin family of four from Kerala was found dead at their home in California's San Mateo city on Tuesday.
The deceased were identified as Anand Sujith Henry (42), his wife Alice Priyanka Benziger (40), and their 4-year-old twin boys Noah and Neithan.
The Indian-American couple were found dead with gunshot wounds inside a bathroom while the children were discovered dead in a bedroom. The investigation is ongoing and the authorities suspect it to be a possible murder-suicide.
Officers were dispatched to the family's home on the 4100 block of Alameda de las Pulgas on Monday morning after one of the family's relatives sought a welfare check as nobody in the house was attending the call.
The officers did not find any signs of forced entry. However, they located an unlocked window through which they entered the home. Inside, they discovered the bodies of the two adults in a bathroom, both with gunshot wounds.
A 9mm pistol and a loaded magazine were also recovered from the bathroom, reports NDTV. No suicide note was found. The twin boys may have been smothered, strangled, or poisoned as they showed no signs of physical trauma, said the report.
Anand and Alice, both IT professionals, had been living in the United States for the past nine years. Anand worked as a software engineer, while Alice held the position of senior analyst.
Both had relocated from New Jersey to San Mateo County two years ago. The couple, known for being friendly, hardworking, and devoted parents, was well-liked by both neighbours and colleagues.
Anand had reportedly, filed for divorce in December 2016, but the proceedings were not finalised.
In a similar case, last December, a wealthy Indian-origin couple and their teenage daughter were found dead in their $5 million mansion in Massachusetts. Authorities had ascribed the deaths of Rakesh Kamal, 57, his wife, Teena, 54, and their 18-year-old daughter Ariana to a "domestic violence situation".