Oct. 7 (UPI) -- An upstate New York man shot and killed his mother, father and wife before turning the gun on himself on Thursday in what authorities are calling a "family tragedy."
The Buffalo News independently confirmed the deaths of Erik Bergum, his wife Mary Beth Bergum along with his parents Nancy and Mark Bergum.
The Erie County Sheriff's Office said it found the bodies of Eric and Mark Bergum in the town of Newstead, N.Y., late Thursday morning in what it called a murder-suicide.
While investigating that shooting, authorities learned of the deaths of Mary Beth Bergum and Nancy Bergum at separate locations in Clarence, N.Y., about 12 miles away. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff's department said.
The sheriff's office said the shooting remained under investigation Friday and there was no imminent danger to the public.
"It's a family tragedy," Sheriff John Garcia said Thursday afternoon, according to the Buffalo News. "It's a terrible, terrible event for everyone."
