Ind. Man Kills Wife, Injures Their 2 Teenage Daughters Before Turning Gun on Himself

A 43-year-old former Indianapolis police officer killed his wife, 41, and shot his two daughters in what investigators say was a murder-suicide

A former police officer shot his teenaged daughters, killed his wife and then turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide, police in Indianapolis say.

On Monday, Aug. 12, Indianapolis Metropolitan police officers responded to a call about a domestic violence incident with a weapon at around 9 p.m., after one of 43-year-old Thomas Joseph Nolan's daughters dialed 911 to report a situation at their home on the city's south side, local outlets FOX59 and the Indy Star reported.

"Upon officers’ arrival, they heard at least one gunshot from the dispatched location," the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) told PEOPLE in a statement. "Officers made their way into the residence in attempt to stop the threat and any potential loss of life."

Police then located two teenaged girls — the daughters of Nolan and his wife, who was identified by FOX59, the Star and WTHR as 51-year-old Ashley Nolan — who had each sustained a gunshot wound. According to police, one of the girls was in stable condition and the other sustained critical injuries.

As police continued to make their way through the home, they entered the property's backyard, where they found both Nolan and his wife dead. A gun was found at the scene.

The Star reported that the couple were married for 18 years.

Police added that emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene, and the two girls were quickly transported to the hospital. A GoFundMe created by Ashley's uncle on behalf of the girls states that they were taken to Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University.

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"Detectives believe this to be a domestic related murder-suicide," IMPD added.

USA Today and FOX59 reported that Nolan was a former reserve officer with the IMPD who began working with the agency in 2004 and worked there for more than 20 years. Prior to his work with IMPD, Nolan worked with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office as a reserve deputy, and also previously worked as a resource officer for the Perry Schools Police Department.

In May this year, Nolan resigned from his role with the IMPD but the department has not provided further details.

Speaking with the Star, many of the family's neighbors and relatives remembered Ashley as a kind person who worked as a medical administrator and was passionate about her faith.

Ashley's uncle, Jim Bowman, told the outlet that she "just wanted to make her family happy."

"And that's what she did. She made us happy for 41 years," Bowman told the outlet. "If God wanted to call somebody home early in heaven, it would be her. She was kind to a fault."

The mom-of-two is survived by her daughters Delaney and Jillian. The family's GoFundMe, which is being organized by Bowman to raise money for the girls, has since raised over $90,000 of its $200,000 goal.

"Please pray and donate to the girls," Bowman writes in the fundraiser's description. "Ashley was a faithful believer and made sure she took her girls to church weekly."

"Within seconds the girls lost both parents," he added.

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact Detective Brian Lambert with the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or Brian.Lambert2@indy.gov.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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