Loganville, Georgia – A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in Gwinnett County, Georgia, as a mother is left to grieve the loss of her three young children in what authorities suspect to be a murder-suicide. The bodies of the three children, ages 9, 11, and 13, were discovered alongside a deceased man in a local park in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The victims, identified as Arianny Arias Rodriguez, Carlos Michelle Rodriguez, and Chadal Rodriguez, were found inside a car with the suspected shooter, who has been identified as the children’s mother’s former partner, Jose Plasencia, 56. The mother, Karina Rodriguez, was not present during the tragic incident, as she was at a hospital with one of her other children for a separate injury at the time.
Authorities revealed that the family had been together at the hospital earlier, where Plasencia had met up with them. At some point, Karina had agreed to let the three children accompany Plasencia to get food, though it remains unclear how long the children had been in his care before the tragic event occurred.
The devastating discovery was made around 1 a.m. on Wednesday when an officer patrolling Lucky Shoals Park stumbled upon a “suspicious vehicle” on a pedestrian walking trail. Inside the vehicle, the bodies of the four individuals were found, prompting authorities to suspect a case of murder-suicide, although further confirmation from the medical examiner’s office is pending.
In the aftermath of the horrific loss, Karina has set up a GoFundMe page seeking financial assistance to lay her children to rest in her native country of the Dominican Republic. The grieving mother expressed her devastation, describing her children as her world and lamenting the cruel loss of her “little angels.”
This tragic event serves as a harrowing reminder of the devastating impact of domestic violence. For those experiencing such situations, help is available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline, offering support and assistance around the clock in multiple languages. Domestic violence remains a pervasive issue that demands attention and action to prevent further tragedies.