Parents, two children dead in Linden murder-suicide
LINDEN – Police continue to investigate a Sunday morning shooting at a home on Chatham Place that left two children and their parents dead, police said.
The family members were identified Monday as Justyna Nieroda, 41, Krzysztof Nieroda, 41, and Natalia Nieroda, 13, who were pronounced dead at the scene. Sebastian Nieroda, 14, was found alive in critical condition and was taken to University Hospital in Newark, where he later died from his injuries, according to the Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Linden Police Chief David Hart.
Police officers responded to the home after reports of a shooting were received at 9:30 a.m., said Capt. Christopher Guenther. There the officers found the two adults and a child dead on arrival.
The second child was transported to University Hospital in Newark in critical condition, where he later died, Guenther said.
A joint investigation conducted by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force and the Linden Police Department revealed that during the morning hours, Krzysztof Nieroda shot his wife Justyna, his son Sebastian and his daughter Natalie.
Nieroda then contacted a family member by telephone and divulged that he had shot and killed his wife and children. Soon thereafter, Nieroda killed himself with a single gunshot to the head. The murder weapon was located in his hand when authorities arrived, according to the prosecutor's office.
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"This morning Linden suffered another tragedy," Mayor Derek Armstead posted Sunday on Facebook. "The shooter is believed to be among the deceased. There simply are no words to describe the trauma, heartbreak and sorrow that we are all experiencing."
In a statement issued Sunday afternoon, Gov. Phil Murphy said he was closely monitoring the shooting and the investigation is ongoing.
"Linden is a strong community and we will support them however possible as they mourn and recover,” Murphy said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for more information.
email: cmakin@gannettnj.com
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Linden house shooting: Parents, two children dead
