A devastating tragedy has rocked the small town of West Greenwich, Rhode Island, as a father shot and killed his pregnant wife and two young children before taking his own life.

The bodies were discovered on Friday, January 3, after police conducted a wellness check on the family.

The victims were identified as 39-year-old Danielle Lynne Arruda, her two children, Adele, 5, and Felex, 2, and her unborn child.

West Greenwich police said the shooting occurred between the evening of January 1 and the early morning of January 2 inside the family’s home on Cheyenne Trail.

Police were alerted after Danielle missed work on Thursday and failed to respond to calls on Friday. When officers arrived to perform the wellness check, they found the horrific scene.

Police Chief Richard N. Ramsay described the discovery as one of the most disturbing of his more than 30 years in law enforcement.

“It was apparent there were no signs of life, and all four victims had suffered fatal gunshot wounds,” he said during a press briefing.

Nicholas D. Arruda, 39, was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and an M4-type semiautomatic weapon beside him.

Investigators say there were no signs of a struggle, and no prior reports of domestic violence at the residence.

“I wish there was some explanation, but we may never know why this happened,” Ramsay told reporters. Friends and family are left reeling from the shocking news, as there had been no indication that anything was amiss with the Arruda family.

Danielle’s cousin, Mikayla Ruffner Cihat, described her as a “loving, smart, and funny” woman who was always the life of the room.