5 Family Members Found Dead in Yorba Linda

[zonkers]

Source: L.os Angeles Times

A Yorba Linda man killed his wife and three of his children late Saturday night before turning the shotgun on himself in a small condominium across the street from the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace, police said Sunday.

A 14-year-old stepson of the man was also shot but was expected to survive.

Police said they did not know the motive for the attacks. Before he underwent surgery, the stepson was not able to explain what started the rampage.

"We believe this was a domestic violence situation and a murder-suicide," Lt. Jack Conklin of the Brea Police Department said outside the home. Brea police, which patrols Yorba Linda, are investigating the killings.

The gunman was identified as Orland Cho, 41. Also killed were his wife, Maricel, 39; daughters Nicole, 9, and Kathleen, 8; and son Christopher, 5. The stepson was identified as Ian Mercado.

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Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-shoot25feb25,1,5366241.story

[zanne]

1. If domestic shootings are this bad now...

What will they be in another twenty years unless we at least try to do something now? I don't have all the answers, but it seems to me we worry so much about smoking, obesity and oversexed kids that we're ignoring much bigger problems.

Over the years, we've become more educated about diseases that affect our bodies, but we haven't done a lot about diseases that affect our brains. We keep getting new and improved drugs, such as antidepressants, but we don't have a "new, improved" attitude about mental illness. You can talk about your sciatica with your neighbor, but how many of us would be willing to talk about our depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts?

Also, we have to realize that any one of us can come to a place in life when we're this desperate. I'm not trying to start a flame war here, but hey, these murder-suicides are usually committed with a gun. New laws about sensible gun ownership, new attitudes about mental illness are both sorely needed. With our "War" on smoking, obesity and fly-away hair, we've conveniently managed to overlook our biggest problems.

We have a Meantal Health forum on DU. Why don't we all take the time to go there from time to time and let ourselves be honest about our illnesses and our attitudes? It can only help.

Rant over.