A child has been charged in the shooting death of a New Hampshire mother and her two children last week, officials said.
The juvenile, whose name and age were not released, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of tampering with physical evidence in the slayings of 25-year-old Cassandra Sweeney and her two sons.
The suspected killer will be tried as a juvenile under state law, the New Hampshire Department of Justice said in a statement Thursday.
Sweeney and her children, four-year-old Benjamin and one-year-old Mason, were found dead of gunshot wounds in their Northfield home shortly after 11:30 a.m. on August 3.
The medical examiner ruled their deaths homicides.
Police and state prosecutors did not say what relationship, if any, the juvenile suspect had to the victims, and there was no immediate information on a possible motive.
Sweeney’s cousin described the young mother in a GoFundMe campaign as “one of the most genuine and beautiful people you could ever meet.”
A child has been charged with murdering New Hampshire mother Cassandra Sweeney and her two young sons. GoFundMe The bodies of Cassandra Sweeney, Benjamin Sweeney, 4, and Mason Sweeney, 1, were found in their home in Northfield, New York, on August 3. CBS Police were called to the family’s home after a call to 911. CBS
Sweeney’s obituary said “everyone who knew Cass knew she was born to be a wife and mother.”
She is survived by her husband Sean Sweeney, who spoke about the tragedy for the first time in a Facebook post on Sunday.
“I wanted to thank everyone for the outpouring and support, even though things will never be ‘normal’ again, my body finally shut down and let me sleep last night and woke up feeling as normal as possible,” he wrote .
According to his obituary, Benjamin Sweeney, 4, loved singing “Puff the Magic Dragon” with his dad before bed and learning about dinosaurs. She also enjoyed baking and cleaning with her mother and doing crafts.
The mother and children died of gunshot wounds, the autopsy showed. Memorial of Dignity
“His smile could light up a room,” the page reads.
His younger brother, Mason, who would have turned two later this month, loved to cuddle and dance to the Beach Boys and “Baby Shark,” his obituary said. He also enjoyed snacking, playing with trucks and learning to count with his dad.
A triple funeral for the mother and children is scheduled for Saturday.
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