Los Angeles police said the boys’ father is believed to be responsible for the shooting.
CANOGA PARK, CA — A father and his two 10-year-old sons were found dead Sunday evening after a reported shooting at a Canoga Park apartment complex, where Los Angeles police said the case is being investigated as an apparent murder-suicide.
The shooting brought a large police and fire response to the 8000 block of Owensmouth Avenue, near Lanark Park, as families were still outside on a Sunday night. The Los Angeles Fire Department said crews were called at about 7:15 p.m. and pronounced all three people dead at the scene. Police said no outstanding suspect was being sought, and detectives were trying to determine what led to the deaths.
Los Angeles police said the two children were twin boys, both 10, and that their father is believed to have carried out the shooting. Authorities had not publicly released the names of the father or the children by early Monday. Officials also had not released details about the weapon, whether anyone else was inside the home when officers arrived, or whether police had been called to the address before Sunday night.
The apartment complex sits along Owensmouth Avenue across from Lanark Park, a busy community space with sports fields and recreation areas in the west San Fernando Valley. News video from above the scene showed police and fire vehicles around the complex and crime tape blocking access while investigators worked. A crowd gathered nearby as officers moved through the area and detectives entered and left the home. Family members and other people at the scene embraced, cried and stood quietly as investigators collected evidence.
One woman at the scene said the deaths were hard to understand. “That’s just really sad,” she said. “Two little kids and a dad. That’s a family. Nobody deserves that.” Others stopped near the crime tape as word of the shooting spread through the neighborhood. Some appeared to know the family, while others said they came because the deaths shook the community around the park.
The investigation remained in its early stages Monday. Detectives were working to confirm the sequence of events, the motive and the family’s recent history. Police did not announce arrests because the suspected shooter was among the dead. The Los Angeles County medical examiner was expected to determine the official causes and manners of death and release the victims’ identities after relatives were notified.
The shooting came less than two weeks after another Los Angeles family tragedy in North Hills, where authorities said four people, including two young children, died in a murder-suicide. Police have not said the Canoga Park case is connected to any other investigation. Both cases drew heavy emergency responses and left neighbors describing shock as officers worked inside homes where children had died.
By Monday morning, police still had not said what prompted the shooting or whether any warning signs had been reported before the gunfire. The next public update is expected after detectives finish more interviews and the medical examiner completes formal identification of the father and the two boys.
Author note: Last updated June 8, 2026.