Background: News footage of the Madbury, N.H., where four members of the Long family were found dead on Aug. 18 (WBTS). Inset (from left to right): Ryan Long, daughter Ryan, son Parker, and Emily Long (Facebook/Emily Long).
Authorities in New Hampshire have determined that a woman found dead along with her husband and two of their three children turned the gun on herself after killing her family.
New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella announced in a press release that after autopsies were performed on 48-year-old Ryan Long, 34-year-old Emily Long, 8-year-old Parker Long, and 6-year-old Ryan Long, it was concluded that Emily Long”s manner of death was suicide. The other deceased members of her family died as a result of homicide, all of gunshot wounds at the hands of Emily Long. A third child, a 3-year-old boy, was found in the home unharmed.
Several outlets have reported that Ryan Long, who had been a school psychologist at a local middle school, had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Emily Long had reportedly turned to social media, including TikTok, to post about the family’s struggles — as well as her own.
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Formella spoke with WMUR, a local ABC affiliate, and provided a rough timeline of the events of Aug. 18. According to Formella, the shootings occurred around 5:30 a.m. Several neighbors called 911, and Formella said that police responded to the Longs’ home in Madbury after the discovery of the bodies was made at 8:20 a.m. Neighbors had reportedly failed to make contact with the Longs after hearing the shootings.
Emily Long, who referred to herself as a “Brain Cancer Wife” in her TikTok bio, posted her final video just days before she went through with her tragic, final act. While her TikTok account was made private after the killings, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported that in her last video, entitled “Making a Change,” Emily Long reportedly described actions she was taking to lift her own mood for the sake of her family. In the video, she said, “I have been struggling so much and really depressed, and just have really become reclusive and just want to be with my kids and my husband.”
She added, “I used to be, like, the most social human on this planet, and the past month I have basically declined 98% of all offers and my kids need to be with their friends. Hold me to it. Today I am adjusting my perspective and I’m going to make it a point to get out of my depression and do this for my family.”
Ryan Long was reportedly living with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
According to Formella, the two children each died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Ryan Long died of “multiple gunshot wounds.” The press release about the autopsy results seemingly included a reference to Emily Long’s social media presence, stating, “While investigators are becoming aware of various concerns/issues ongoing in the household at the time of the event in question, people should avoid speculating that this event was caused by a single reason or stressor.”
Formella confirmed that the lone, surviving child is now in the care of his grandparents and family members.
If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or considering self-harm, help is available immediately at the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
