Authorities discovered the bodies Saturday afternoon in the family’s home in the Berks County town of Sinking Spring, about 70 miles north of Philadelphia, according to the Berks County District Attorney’s office.
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At approximately 6:07 PM, The Berks County Coroner pronounced Mark Jason Short Sr., 40 years of age, Megan L. Short, 33 years of age, Lianna G. Short, 8 years of age, Mark J. Short, 5 years of age, Willow R. Short, 2 years of age dead at the scene. Police found a handgun near one of the adults, but didn’t say which one or say who they believe was the shooter.
Police discovered the bodies when a family member called, concerned that Megan had not shown up for a scheduled lunch date, officials said.
Adams said investigators found the victims had been fatally shot inside their home in the Brookfield Manor subdivision, according to The Reading Eagle.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to friends and family of the Short family during this hard time.
It also said the family was featured in a 2015 New York Times article discussing the difficulties it was facing in obtaining and using the medication Willow needed to keep her from rejecting her transplanted heart. Authorities also found the family’s dog deceased. The youngest, Willow, now 2, was born with a rare heart condition that required surgery when she was only 3 days old, followed by a full heart transplant. The note talked about a child’s illness, post-traumatic stress and strife in their home in recent years.
“Certain smells and hallways trigger memories every single time”, she said.
“I don’t think PTSD ever truly goes away but, with therapy, medication, and the right support, I have begun to loosen its grip on me”, she said.
Megan, in particular, had been open about sharing her experience as a parent to a young child with congenital heart issues, blogging for the site Philly at Heart and sharing updates on her own Facebook page. Neighbors are struggling to wrap their minds around the tragedy.
“I just got sick”, Burke told the Eagle.
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Police cordoned off a Sinking Spring, Pa., home after finding a family of five dead inside. “I couldn’t sleep half the night because I was so upset”, said Jay Pezdirc of Spring Township.
