YORK, Pa. — The York County Coroner's Office revealed that there was a record number of murder-suicides in 2023.
Last year, there were six murder-suicides in York County resulting in 14 deaths.
Pam Gay, the York County coroner, says this was the highest number the county had seen in nearly 30 years.
The most recent case happened in Hanover back in December, when a man stabbed and killed his wife and son before taking his own life.
Gay said many murder-suicides begin as domestic disputes or involve someone suffering from an illness. She said she doesn't have any answers to the sudden increase in cases.
But there are ways to prevent them.
"There's a lot of things going on in people's lives that they can keep from others or others might not notice right away," said Gay. "It teaches us we need to be more diligent when looking out for our neighbors, family members and so forth because a lot of times, they're going through things we don't realize."
According to a 2021 study by the Violence Policy Center, around 10 cases of murder-suicides happen per week in the United States. Close to nine out of those 10 cases involve a gun. In nearly two-thirds of all murder-suicides, the victims have a close relationship to the shooter.
There are several resources available for suicide prevention and crisis support here in Pennsylvania, including dialing 988, which connects callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.