A Mom and Her Three Daughters Among Five Found Dead in Indiana Home

Photo of mother Briana Payne and her daughters. Photo from CBSNews.com.

The bodies of five people discovered in a Lake Station, Indiana home have been identified, and the community is troubled by what took place.

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What Happened

On Friday, February 23, police conducted a well-being check on the family of five at their Lake Station, Indiana home. Upon entry to the home at approximately 2:44 pm, the police made the tragic discovery. Sadly, the bodies of two adults, including the mother Briana Payne, and three “young children” were found deceased with gunshot wounds.

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According to Channel2Now.com, these are the deceased:

• Alayna Payne, 4 (homicide)
• Ava Payne, 6 (homicide)
• Aurorah Payne, 7 (homicide)
• Briana Payne, 27 (homicide)
• Robert Payne, 31 (manner of death pending)

The coroner ruled the deaths of the mother and children as homicides. The coroner has not released the cause of death of Robert Payne, but police reported that he had a gunshot wound. Some reports indicate Robert Payne’s gunshot was self-inflicted, leaving people to speculate about his role in this case. Some have reported him to be the husband of Briana Payne and the father of the children.

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Briana Payne’s neighbor said two of the girls, Ava and Aurorah, attended Virgil Bailey Elementary and were in first and second grade. School officials said there will be grief counseling for the students, who will need it.

With the lives of this loving mother and innocent children taken, the investigation has yielded no further information. No statements on a motive or a suspect have been released, but authorities are portraying this as an isolated incident. Law enforcement is encouraging the public to come forward with any information, as they continue to piece together the chronological order of events. Those with information should reach out to the Lake Station Police Department. Tips can also be submitted anonymously.

Donations can be made to this GoFundMe that was started in the name of Briana Payne and her three daughters to help her family pay for funeral expenses. Share this story on Facebook to spread awareness and bring justice for the victims and family.

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This article was written by Jermaine Reed, MFA, the Editor-in-Chief of The Reeders Block. He also works an Adjunct College Professor. Join the email list to get notifications on new blog posts and books. This article is 100% human-written. And remember, if you see an error, that’s what makes us human.