The Pittsburgh teen who shot his family and then turned the gun on himself was an avid hunter who had access to many firearms, according to local police.
“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.
Clifford Hunt Jr., the family’s oldest son, shot and killed his parents, Clifford Sr., 51, and Michelle, 48. In addition, he killed his 16-year-old brother Cody. Cody was still alive when officers arrived, and police believe Cody called 911, according to WPXI-11.
Police are still trying to piece together how the tragedy occurred inside the home on Sunday, January 12. Police responded to a 911 call from inside the abandoned home. When police arrived at the house, they discovered a horrific 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,” Autumn Ashurst, a close friend of the family, told WP
Jennifer Lanham, who works near the home where the shooting occurred, told WTAE-4 that it has reverberated throughout the community.
“Everyone knows everyone else. We have a very tight-knit community. Everybody looks out for one another. So something like this is unimaginable in this area,” Lanham told WTAE-4.
Both Cody Hunt and his mother were Air Heritage Aviation Museum members.
“Cody and his mother were overjoyed when he got his pilot’s license. Cody aspired to be a pilot in the United States Air Force.
Michelle was one of our most active volunteers, and she always arrived with a smile,” the museum wrote 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.”
