A murder-suicide investigation kicked off in Brevard County after two children and a man were found dead inside a home on Wednesday, according to the Cocoa Police Department.
Police say Joseph Dingwall, 37, his daughter Aria, 5, and son, Remy, 7, were found dead at a home on Sorrento Drive.
Police came to the home after receiving a 911 call from the mother of the children, who had gone to the house to pick them up from their father.
Police say it’s not clear yet what led to the shooting.
“Detectives are investigating every angle,” said Cocoa Police Chief Evander Collier IV. “We really want to bring closure to the mother and the families that’s involved with this. So we don’t have all those details yet as far as what caused this, but we definitely want to try to find out so we can, let you know and let the family know, but let the family know first.”
NEIGHBORS’ RESPONSE
The discovery stunned neighbors who described the area as a quiet, family-oriented community where violent incidents are uncommon.
“Shocked; in this neighborhood, you usually don’t hear stuff like that,” neighbor Ruben Diaz said.
Another neighbor, Marcos Garcia, said he heard two loud noises around midnight that he believed could have been gunshots.
“I was getting ready to go to bed, and I heard two loud sounds. I thought it was gunshots,” Garcia said. “I go to my dad to wake him up. And then, we start to check the cameras.”
Garcia said surveillance footage showed a man stepping outside the home around midnight before appearing to duck out of sight as a vehicle passed.
After the vehicle drove away, the man appeared to walk around the driveway holding an unidentified object before returning inside, according to the neighbor’s account.
“Something happened. Because you never hear those type of sounds in this neighborhood,” Garcia said.
Diaz, who also viewed the footage, said the man’s behavior appeared unusual.
“Based on the video, you’re just shocked at what he did,” Diaz said. “He came outside, then saw the SUV turning the corner and tries to hide. Who knows what is going through someone’s mind at the moment? It’s just sad.”
Both neighbors said they have seen a man, a woman and two children at the residence.
Diaz recalled speaking with the woman just days before the discovery.
“She seemed nice, probably early 30s, nice young mother with a little kid on her hip,” he said.
Authorities have not identified the three people found dead or released their ages. Police also have not confirmed the relationships among those involved or whether the man seen in the surveillance footage was one of the deceased.
For Diaz, the deaths were a painful reminder that even familiar neighborhoods can conceal struggles unknown to those living nearby.
“You never know what someone is going through behind closed doors and it’s just sad that two little kids lost their life,” he said.
A GoFundMe has been put together to pay for the siblings’ funeral and support their mother. To donate, click here.