Who Is Krzysztof Nieroda? New Jersey Father at Center of Murder-Suicide

Krzysztof Nieroda has been accused of killing his family when he shot his beautician wife and their two children at their New Jersey home before turning the weapon on himself.

The 41-year-old electrician's 14-year-old son was found alive but later died from his injuries at University Hospital in Newark.

The killer, his wife Justyna Nieroda, also 41, and their 13-year-old daughter were pronounced dead at the scene after police were called for a welfare check at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday. Details about the deaths, and the identity of the family involved, were released on Monday by Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Linden Police Chief David Hart.

A statement issued by the Linden Police Department on Facebook said that a relative was called by Krzysztof Nieroda who confessed to shooting his wife and children. Shortly afterward, he died by suicide.

Police said that they rushed to the home in Chatham Place to conduct the urgent welfare check, finding Krzysztof, Justyna and their daughter all dead at the scene, along with their wounded son. The gun was still in Krzysztof Nieroda's hand, according to authorities.

Daniel said in a statement; "In tragedies of this magnitude, there are no words that can heal, nor explanations that can serve to make sense of them to the public. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of these victims and to the Linden community as a whole in the wake of this horrible event."

Police Chief Hart added: "It is difficult to find the words to describe the impact a tragedy like this has on our community, particularly for the families, our children, and first responders. We are not alone in our grief; each of us has a shared responsibility to be there for our loved ones as we mourn the loss of our friends and neighbors. If you or someone you know may be suffering, please don't hesitate to ask for help before a crisis occurs."

Attention has now turned to Krzysztof Nieroda as the community is left reeling.

Many said they were shocked by the incident. The electrician was described as "normal" and "nice" and "kind" by neighbors. His wife ran a beauty salon out of their home, and the pair walked their dog around the neighborhood each day, neighbors said.

The slain siblings' friends have paid tribute to the pair by placing flowers and balloons outside their home, CBS New York reported.

Neighbor Digna Alvarez, 76, told the New York Post that she had always thought Nieroda was a kind man: "Every day we talked to him when he came home from work. He was an electrician. He helped with the electricity in our house. He was a very nice person. I don't know what happened to him. And the kids, beautiful kids. I never heard any fights, nothing."

Alvarez told ABC that her sister-in-law, who was visiting at the weekend, said she had heard screams. "She heard somebody was screaming, but she was thinking someone was playing with the dog, and then no more."

Another neighbor, Angel Montanez, 56, also spoke to the New York Post about Nieroda.

"They're a normal family. That's why it's impossible to believe," he said. "They go camping every long weekend, with a trailer they hook up to their car...You never know what goes on behind closed doors, but I'm still shocked. The whole family's gone."

The tragedy comes after a spate of similar cases that have hit the news.

Earlier this month, a parish in Louisiana of less than 500,000 people was rocked after two apparent murder-suicides in the area within just 12 hours.

A 56-year-old man called Andrew Robinson is believed to have killed his wife and 12-year-old son before dying by suicide in Andover, Massachusetts.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 72 percent of all murder suicides involve an intimate partner, while 94 percent of the victims of these are female. The Violence Policy Center reports that there are an estimated 11 murder-suicide cases a week across the United States. Nine out of 10 incidents involve a gun.

Anyone suffering from abuse at home should call The National Domestic Violence Hotline, a free and confidential hotline available 24/7 that can be reached at 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1-800-787-3224. The Hotline also provides information on local resources. For more information, visit https://www.thehotline.org/.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.