Briana Payne, Robert Payne Obituary, Death: Family of five discovered dead in Lake Station murder-suicide.

Briana Payne, Robert Payne Obituary, Death – A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in Lake Station, Indiana, where a family of five was found dead in what authorities have determined to be a murder-suicide. Police responded to a mobile home in the 6700 block of 9th Avenue on Friday afternoon after concerns were raised about the family’s well-being. When officers arrived around 2:45 p.m., they obtained a search warrant and entered the home, discovering the bodies of two adults and three young children.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office later identified the victims as 27-year-old Briana Payne and her three daughters: 4-year-old Alayna, 6-year-old Ava, and 7-year-old Aurorah. All four were found to have died from gunshot wounds, and their deaths were ruled homicides. The children’s father, 31-year-old Robert Payne, was also found dead inside the home, with the coroner determining that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The shocking discovery left the local community in disbelief. Neighbor Sandy Goodman, who had lived next door to the family for five years, expressed her sorrow and shock. She recalled hearing arguments coming from the home in the days leading up to the tragedy. “They had been arguing a lot the past few days,” Goodman said. “I knew something was wrong when the cars hadn’t moved. They usually went out every day.”

Goodman struggled to process the loss, particularly the deaths of the three young girls, whom she described as full of life. “Those little girls were just so full of joy and happiness,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking to think about how scared they must have been.”

Ava and Aurorah were both students at Virgil Bailey Elementary School, attending first and second grade. In response to the devastating news, the school announced plans to have grief counselors available to support students and staff as they process the loss of their classmates.

Authorities have not yet released further details about the circumstances leading up to the murder-suicide. The investigation remains ongoing as the community grapples with the painful loss of an entire family.