According to local police, the teenager from Pittsburgh who tragically shot his family and then took his own life was a passionate hunter with access to a wide range of firearms.
“The family, all of them, were avid hunter and in my conversations with them, hunting always comes up. I knew they had a lot of firearms in the house,” North Sewickley Township Police Chief Jeff Becze told WPXI-11.
The family’s oldest son, Clifford Hunt Jr., 19, fatally shot his parents, Clifford Sr., 51, and Michelle, 48, in the head. He also shot and killed his 16-year-old brother, Cody. Cody was still alive when authorities arrived, and investigators believe he was the one who called 911, according to WPXI-11.
Police are still investigating how the tragedy occurred inside the home on Sunday, January 12. Police received a 911 call from inside an abandoned residence. When cops arrived at the home, they discovered a horrible scene inside.
“Pure shock, it kind of seems unbelievable that something like this could even happen in an area like ours, it’s so quiet it’s so relaxed and to hear of any loss in the community is horrible,” family friend Autumn Ashurst told WPXI-11.
Lanham told WTAE-4 that the tight-knit community at the place knows everyone and looks out for each other. He expressed how the incident is considered an unparalleled tragedy in their community.
“Everybody here knows everybody. You know, we’re a very tight-knit community. Everybody looks out for everybody. So something like this is a tragedy beyond compare here,” Lanham told WTAE-4.
Cody Hunt and his mother were actively involved in the Air Heritage Aviation Museum.
“Cody recently obtained his pilot’s license and he and his mother were very proud of his achievement. Cody’s dream was to someday fly for the United States Air Force. Michelle was one of our most active volunteers and always showed up with a smile on her face,” the museum stated in a post on Facebook. “She and Cody will be greatly missed by everyone at the museum and by all of the visitors that she joyfully greeted at the museum.”
