4 found dead in Doral home believed to be victims of murder-suicide, Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office says
Four people found dead inside a Doral home on Tuesday night are believed to have been the victims of a murder-suicide, according to an update from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said that Doral police officers were called to a home in the area of Northwest 111 Court and Northwest 72nd Terrace just after 7:30 p.m. to perform a welfare check.
When police arrived, the MDSO said that officers entered the home and found four people – two adults and two children – unresponsive.
Members of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived at the scene and pronounced all four people dead.
The adults were identified as 46-year-old Melanie Lauren Hyer and 42-year-old Ryan Charles Whiten. The children were identified as an 11-year-old girl and 8-year old girl.
"Our Doral community is heartbroken by the unimaginable tragedy that has impacted a local family and taken the lives of a mother and her two young daughters," Doral Mayor Christi Fraga said in a statement. "As a mother, and as someone who personally knew and admired the loving and dedicated mother at the center of this tragedy, this loss feels especially close to home. My heart aches for their loved ones, classmates, teachers, friends, neighbors, and everyone grieving during this incredibly painful time."
The statement went on to say that the incident has been a "painful reminder that we must continue having honest conversations about mental health, domestic violence, emotional wellness, and the importance of speaking up when something feels wrong."
The two girls were students of Downtown Doral Charter Schools, who also released a statement to CBS News Miami about the children's deaths.
It reads: "Our community is mourning the loss of two of our beloved students. Our heartfelt sympathies are with their families, friends, faculty, and staff at our schools. These students will be deeply missed."
The school then says they will be helping students and staff with their grief, saying, "To support our students and staff, the school has arranged to have grief counselors on campus and will continue to provide support as needed. We encourage parents to talk openly with their children and closely monitor their well-being. Parents with any concerns or in need of additional support should contact the school."
CBS News Miami also spoke with Gloria Caldas, who has a granddaughter at the charter school. She told us that she was heartbroken to hear the news.
"I am sad. I am definitely very sad," Caldas said. "It is horrible that the lives of a mother and father ended this way. I don't know why they decided to do that, but what really hurts is the children."
Caldas continued, "The message is if you feel bad or if you feel depressed in some way or ruined, there's always a solution. There's always a way out, especially when you have kids."
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, the preliminary investigation showed that all of the victims sustained stab wounds.
The investigation is ongoing, and no other information has been released.