Family of 4 Was Shot; Dad Bought Gas Cans

Florida arson looks like murder-suicide
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted May 8, 2014 5:12 PM CDT
Family of 4 Were Shot Before Deadly Arson
In this photo provided by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, flames destroy a mansion owned by former tennis star James Blake.   (AP Photo/Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)

As expected, it looks like the death of a Florida family of four in an arson is a murder-suicide. Authorities say all four victims found in the Tampa mansion—presumed to be Darrin Campbell; wife Kim; son Colin, 19; and daughter Megan, 16—had been shot, and the gun was registered to the father, reports AP. Investigators also say that Darrin Campbell bought fireworks and gas cans a few days before the fire. Witnesses reported hearing the fireworks go off as the house burned down, and investigators say they had been scattered around the house. Investigators say they aren't looking for additional suspects, reports the Tampa Tribune.

Autopsies were still being conducted, and police haven't speculated in detail about what might have happened inside the home. Campbell had worked as chief operating officer for a Tampa company called VASTEC, and no neighbors or family members quoted in various stories saw anything amiss with him or the family. “I have no idea what happened,” his mother tells the New York Daily News. “I spoke to him last night.” The Campbells had rented the mansion for the last two years from former tennis pro James Blake. (More Florida stories.)

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