A horrific incident unfolded in a Dallas suburb when four members of a Texas family were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide. The incident comes just weeks after the family’s 4-year-old daughter tragically drowned. The Allen police department responded to a wellness check on Monday morning, initiated by a family member who was unable to gain access to the house, according to police Sgt. Jonathan Maness.
Upon entering the residence, officers discovered the bodies of four individuals, all victims of a shooting. Sgt. Maness revealed that a handgun was used in the incident. While the investigation is ongoing, police believe that the recent death of the family’s daughter may have played a role in the tragic event. The identity of the suspect has yet to be confirmed.
The Islamic Association of Allen publicly identified the deceased family members as Farman Sherwani, the father; Layla Sherwani, the mother; Shaheen Sherwani, their 12-year-old son; and Mateen Sherwani, their 2-year-old son. The police department later confirmed these identities.
The Sherwani family, of Kurdish Iraqi descent, were laid to rest at the Denton Muslim Cemetery before sunset on Tuesday. This followed the release of their bodies by officials and was in accordance with their faith, as explained by Imam Abdur Rahman Bashir. He emphasized the importance of a swift burial in their faith and mentioned that the family were members of the Islamic Association.
The Sherwani’s 4-year-old daughter had drowned in a pool during a family gathering earlier in August. Her parents and brothers were buried in the same cemetery. The Imam expressed the community’s grief and difficulty in processing the tragic events during the family’s funeral prayer on Tuesday evening.
The Islamic Association has been actively providing support to those grieving or in crisis, offering counseling, sessions, and suicide-prevention hotlines. Imam Bashir emphasized the importance of community support during such times, stating, “We are all one ummah (community), we are all one body. It is our job to be there for each other wherever we can, whenever we can, however we can.”
This incident is not the first of its kind in the community. Earlier in 2021, a family of six from Allen died in a similar murder-suicide. The alarming frequency of such incidents, often referred to as “family annihilations,” has been on the rise in the U.S. Texas, in particular, has the highest rate of such incidents.