A one-year-old girl has been orphaned after her father shot and killed her mother and an elderly relative in a Watertown, Massachusetts, home on Aug. 31 before turning the gun on himself, authorities and family members said.
Police and family identified the deceased as Karine Asatryan, 35; Nadia Abrahamian, 80; and David Minasvand, 31. Officials said the three were the only people present in the house at the time of the shootings. Asatryan and Minasvand lived together in the downstairs portion of the home, and Abrahamian lived upstairs.
Family members have said the child, identified as Madeline Minasvand, will be raised by her aunt, Meline, who set up a fundraiser to cover immediate and long-term expenses for the infant. The GoFundMe said donations would be used for baby supplies, medical care, childcare and future education; it had raised more than $40,000 at the time of writing.
In a statement posted with the fundraiser and in an obituary, relatives described Asatryan as a devoted mother who "embraced motherhood with her whole heart, pouring all her love and hopes into her daughter’s future." The obituary said Asatryan was born in Yerevan, Armenia, and was the first in her family to move to the United States, where she worked as a caregiver.
Obituaries and family accounts said Abrahamian was known to the victims as part of a blended Armenian family; relatives noted that Madeline's parents helped care for Abrahamian before the killings. An obituary for Abrahamian’s late husband, Sarkis, said he had died about a month earlier.
Authorities have not publicly released a motive for the shootings. Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths and have not disclosed additional details about possible triggers or whether there were prior domestic concerns reported to law enforcement.
Relatives and friends described the deaths as a devastating loss for a close-knit family. The fundraiser organizer wrote that Meline is "stepping into this role with courage, tenderness, and unwavering devotion" and asked the community to support Madeline and carry forward Karine's legacy.
Watertown police and local officials did not immediately release additional comment beyond confirming the deaths and the identities of those involved. Arrangements for memorial services and any further family statements are being handled privately, according to the obituary and the fundraiser page.