A Utah neighborhood is in shock after a 32-year-old lady and her three children were discovered dead earlier this month in what investigators believe was a murder-suicide committed by the mother.
Maribel Ibarra was discovered dead in a car with her children in West Haven, Utah, on September 3, according to a statement from the Weber County Sheriff’s Office issued on Friday, September 6. Police stated they’d all been shot.
The children were not named in the statement, but a GoFundMe page established up to cover burial expenses identified them as Jordan, Yaitza, and Alitzel. Police verified to FOX 13 NOW that all of the children were under the age of five, with the youngest being one year old.
“Based on video evidence, physical evidence, witness statements, and interviews with family members, detectives believe that this was a tragic incident of murder-suicide,” Lieutenant Terance Lavely said in a statement last week.
“The evidence indicates that Maribel shot her three children in the rear cargo area of her car before turning the gun on herself,” according to Lavely.
A part of the description on the GoFundMe page reads: “Like many people around the world, unfortunately, Maribel Ibarra was overwhelmed by the hopelessness in which people with depression are immersed, which led her to take actions that we deeply regret.”
The sheriff’s office confirmed to PEOPLE that an investigation is ongoing, but no further updates are available at this time.
If you or someone you know requires mental health assistance, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to reach a licensed crisis counselor.