Heartbreaking update after mother allegedly killed terminally ill husband and two kids in murder-suicide
Topics: Mental Health, TikTok, Crime, US News
Emily Brown
Featured Image Credit: Facebook
Topics: Mental Health, TikTok, Crime, US News
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Authorities have shared an update on the situation of the young toddler who was left alive after their mom, Emily Long, allegedly shot her terminally ill husband and two of their other children before taking her own life.
Emily, who was 34, was previously open about her husband's brain cancer diagnosis in posts on TikTok, admitting in one video that she wanted to 'hide under a blanket with [her] kids', before acknowledging that was 'not healthy'.
Ryan Long, who was 48, had an aggressive type of brain tumor known as glioblastoma.
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On the morning of August 18, 2025, Ryan, Emily, and their children Parker, eight, and Ryan, six, were found dead inside the Madbury home.
Autopsies revealed that both children died of a single gunshot wound to the head, while Ryan died of multiple gunshot wounds. The deaths of the husband and two children were ruled as homicides.
Emily died of a single gunshot wound to the head, with her manner of death ruled as a suicide.
The couple's youngest child, who is still a toddler, was left unharmed, with Assistant Attorney General Ben Agati having confirmed the toddler's new living situation.
Agati told WMUR that the toddler is now being taken care of by other family members and is in a 'safe environment'.
The update comes after the New Hampshire Department of Justice shared a press release breaking down the events which are thought to have taken place before the family members' deaths.
It read: "Based upon the information available at this time, it appears that in the early morning hours of Monday, August 18, 2025, Ms. Long took a handgun from the home and caused the deaths of Ryan Long and her two children, Parker and Ryan, and then took her own life immediately thereafter.
"While investigators are becoming aware of various concerns/issues ongoing in the household at the time of the event in question, people should avoid speculating that this event was caused by a single reason or stressor."
Agati said investigators were looking into whether 'money' or 'the health situation' may have been a factor in the crimes that unfolded, but stressed: "I think the big thing is to try not to speculate that there's any one reason why something like this would happen. Homicide and suicide is usually much, much more complex than just one reason.
"There's still more information that we're trying to gather to narrow down different things."
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.