A man identified as Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, killed his wife, Amanda, 39, and their six children before setting fire to their Grand Haven Township, Michigan, home and dying by suicide, authorities said. The children ranged in age from five to 15.
Karolkiewicz had been fired from his position as Vice President of sales and marketing with the American Heart Association earlier this month, according to a statement from the organization. The association expressed devastation at the news and offered condolences to the victims' loved ones.
Investigators described the incident as a murder-suicide. Karolkiewicz is believed to have started several fires within the $750,000 home after fatally shooting his family. He then turned the weapon on himself. The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office has ruled the deaths of Amanda and the children as homicides, and Karolkiewicz's death as a suicide.
Four of the six children were Karolkiewicz's biological children, while the other two were adopted by the couple. Their names have not been released. The family also had pets, who died from smoke inhalation.
911 dispatch audio revealed that fire crews were initially called to the property due to reports of white smoke emanating from the residence. A dispatcher noted "white smoke coming out of the window" and "full of smoke seen from the outside and smells electrical."
It has also emerged that Karolkiewicz had a prior infidelity, reportedly with an intern at a former workplace about six years ago. Amanda Karolkiewicz had written about this affair in Reddit posts, describing it as having significantly impacted their marriage. She noted that their youngest son was born around the time they were attempting to reconcile. She had also spoken about undergoing cosmetic procedures in an effort to regain her self-esteem following the infidelity.
Michigan State Police arson investigators are examining the cause of the fires. The couple was married in 2009.