Le family members killed in East Lansdowne, Pa. shooting, fire identified
EAST LANSDOWNE, Pa. (CBS) -- Relatives have identified five members of the Le family killed after a tragic shooting and fire at a home on Lewis Avenue in East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
The McLaughlin family released a statement on their loss as well as the relatives' names and ages:
- Britni McLaughlin-Le, 37 years old
- Xuong Le, 40 years old
- Natalya Le, 17 years old
- Nakayla Le, 13 years old
- Xavier Le, 10 years old
Britni McLaughlin-Le and Xuong Le were a married couple and the parents of Natalya, Nakayla and Xavier.
Here is what the family said about their loss:
"Britni and Xuong were a happily married couple for 17 years, loving and devoted parents to their three children, their extended family, and their beloved friends. Their three children all excelled in academics, the arts, and sports. Our hearts are broken and we vow to cherish the memories of our loved ones and we will work to ensure that their legacies lives on. We would like to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude for your thoughts, prayers, and condolences during this difficult time. We kindly ask that our privacy be respected in this matter as we are still processing this significant loss."
Authorities say all bodies in the home have been recovered.
"We think we have found everybody who was in that house, the Le family, we have recovered all members of that family," Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said.
Stollsteimer said one of the sets of remains recovered is Canh Le, who is believed to be the shooter.
"We knew from information provided by the grandparents early on in the investigation, he was the suspect for at least shooting one of the nieces, one of his nieces," the DA said.
Authorities said police received a 911 call before 4 p.m. Wednesday reporting an 11-year-old was shot. It's not clear who made that call or if that detail was even true - but when police arrived at the home on Lewis Avenue near Pembroke Avenue, officers started taking gunfire.
Two officers were hurt and dragged to safety before being taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Videos filmed by a neighbor showed one officer carrying a ballistic shield and running to another officer's aid.
During the encounter, the home caught fire. Firefighters were held back because the gunshots prevented them from being able to safely put out the flames, Stollsteimer said.
"My assumption is that the fire was started at some point after [Canh Le] probably killed members of the family. I could be completely wrong. The medical examiner is going to determine how these members of the family died," Stollsteimer said Friday.
Black smoke was seen rising into the air for hours as the fire burned out of control until police determined there was no longer any threat.
Two police officers were wounded in the shooting and both have already been released from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
RELATED: 2 officers injured during shooting in East Lansdowne were dragged to safety by Upper Darby Police
Remains of three people were recovered from the home on Thursday. On Friday, Stollsteimer said that all six bodies were recovered from the home.
The Delaware County medical examiner will now perform autopsies and help investigators determine how each member of the family died.
A partially melted rifle has been located inside the remnants of the charred home. Sources said it's the firearm that was used to shoot the two officers.
Investigators also said they may never know who the shooter was -- but as time goes on and interviews are conducted with other surviving members of the Le family as well as an analysis of evidence, the recovered rifle and a review of 911 calls -- there is the hope they'll be able to say who was responsible.
If Canh Le is identified as the person found next to the rifle, the criminal investigation will be closed, Stollsteimer added.
This entire incident has rocked the William Penn School District -- children from the Le family attended elementary, middle and high school.
The gravity of loss is setting in here in East Lansdowne.
Chin Le, a woman who claimed she was the mother of the shooter, identified him as Canh Le. She said he was in an argument with his 10-year-old nephew before the shooting started Wednesday afternoon.
The woman's family doctor, Dr. Khanh Che, stepped in and acted as interpreter in an interview Thursday.
Chin Le said Canh Le was 44 years old, recently divorced and out of work.
According to Che, Chin Le said her son shot five people, including three children, before he killed himself.
Investigators are still working to determine with certainty what happened and have not confirmed Chin Le's account.
Stollsteimer said he doesn't know the motive for the shooting but that investigators have spoken to the children's grandparents, who are still in shock.
"They don't really have any idea," Stollsteimer said of a possible motive. "He just went haywire."
This story has been updated with the correct spelling of Nakayla Le's name.
