Woman and 2 children found dead in north Spokane home

A woman and two children were found dead late Thursday inside a home in northwest Spokane, police said.

Police said in a news release that the incident is “potentially a murder-suicide,” based on the initial investigation.

Officers were called to the home at 2609 W. Woodside Ave., just north of Salk Middle School, shortly before midnight. A father reported he had just returned home to find his wife and two children, both under the age of 12. Pets in the home were also dead. According to Spokane Public Schools spokesperson Ryan Lancaster, the children appeared to be home-schooled.

Balboa Elementary School Principal Brenda Lollis issued a statement to staff and parents Friday morning saying the school’s crisis response team is available, as many people at the school were impacted by the news.

“All of us are feeling lots of emotions today like shock, sadness, anger or confusion. It’s important that we care for ourselves and each other. Our students should never have to cope with the loss of a peer,” the statement said.

Bill Sorcinelli, who lives across the street from the home, said he was up all night and didn’t hear anything. He often sees kids playing in the yard.

“I’ve watched them play out in the front yard on the blanket in the sun. They used to walk their dog around the block two or three times. … They’re always walking the dog,” Sorcinelli said.

Other neighbors said they haven’t seen much police presence in the neighborhood.

The woman never complained about her husband or children, Sorcinelli said, and the father goes back and forth from home to work.

Spokane Police spokesperson Julie Humphreys said police are still investigating, and there is “much more to be determined.”

The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the identities of the victims.