Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide and child death that some readers may find upsetting
A US man who was diagnosed with brain cancer was brutally murdered by his own wife, who then turned the gun on their children and herself just one day after she said on social media that she was in a 'rut'.
Ryan Long, a New Hampshire man and father-of-three, had been diagnosed with brain cancer prior to his death, as per the New Hampshire Union Leader.
He lived at home with his wife Emily, 34, son Parker, 8, daughter Ryan, 6, and their toddler.
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Sadly, Ryan, Emily, Parker and little Ryan were all found deceased in their home in Madbury on Monday, 18 August, in an apparent murder-suicide by Emily.
Reports say the toddler was the only family member found in the home and was thankfully unharmed.
The autopsy found that Emily shot and killed her husband and two children before shooting herself, as per WMUR and WGME.
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The papers say both children died from single gunshot wounds to the head, as did Emily. However, the outlet reported that Ryan had been shot multiple times, with the three deaths having been ruled as a homicide, and Emily’s as a suicide.
The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office said of the deaths, as per the Foster's Daily Democrat: "Based upon the information available at this time, it appears that in the early morning hours of Monday, August 18, 2025, Ms. Long took a handgun from the home and caused the deaths of Ryan Long and her two children, Parker and Ryan, and then took her own life immediately thereafter.”
Just one day prior to the killings, Emily had talked about her emotional state in light of her husband’s diagnosis in a TikTok video, sharing that she felt she was in a ‘rut’ and was depressed because of their home life.
Emily’s bio shared she was a ‘Brain Cancer Wife,’ and she used her account as a ‘personal diary’ as it was ‘cheaper than therapy’.
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She said: “Today I decided I need to make a conscious effort to shift my mindset. I'm getting out of this depression whether I want to or not. I am determined to create normalcy... I’m trying to get myself out of the rut, our kids are definitely struggling, and now I’m starting to notice some changes in our 3-year-old.”
"I'm making a point to get out of my depression and do this for my family," she added.
As for the motive, the New Hampshire Assistant Attorney General Ben Agati said, as per WMUR, that in a situation like this, it’s ‘very, very tricky’.
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He said investigators were looking into the possibility of ‘money’ or ‘the health situation’ as being reasons for the shootings, stating: "I think the big thing is to try not to speculate that there's any one reason why something like this would happen. Homicide and suicide is usually much, much more complex than just one reason.”
He went on to say the shooting was likely to have occurred at 5:30am on Monday morning, and added: "There's still more information that we're trying to gather to narrow down different things.”
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Or, if you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.
Britt Jones