Minnesota Shootings: Brian, Karen, Cole, Madison, and Brooklyn Short Found Dead Inside $2 Million Mansion – Hennepin County Sheriff Investigates Multiple Murder-Suicide

Brian Short, his wife, and three children were found dead inside their multi-million dollar home in Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota on Thursday, Sept. 10. South Minnetonka Police are investigating the deaths as a multiple murder-suicide. The weapon used in the murders was a shotgun.

Brian was the founder of AllNurses.Com, a networking site for nurses. Minnesota Public Radio reported that Brian was being sued by Achieve Test Prep, a New Jersey company. His co-worker called the police when Brian missed several days of work. Cole (17), Madison (15), and Brooklyn (14) missed the first two days of school at Minnetonka High School. The police went to the mansion to check up on the family at 12:21 p.m.

“I can’t even fathom it,” said Kathy Lausche, a family friend to the Star Tribune. “They were just your normal, typical family. Their lives revolved around their kids.”

MPR reported on Friday that Karen, Cole, Madison, and Brooklyn were found in their bedrooms, while Brian was found in the garage. On Thursday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune had reported that “one victim was found in a bedroom, a second in the basement garage, two others in the basement and the last in a lower-level bedroom.”

The shooter will be identified by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner. The Hennepin County Sheriff said that it was a “complex crime scene.”

“At this point we cannot positively say who shot whom," said Mike Siitari, the South Lake Minnetonka Interim Police Chief to the Associated Press.

Shannon Krenik, a close friend of Cole told MPR that the Shorts were planning to sell their house due to financial hardships. The Shorts purchased their home on Channel Drive for $2 million in 2011.

"His dad and Cole never got along very well, and his dad had a temper too. I know they had financial problems, they were about to move,” said Krenik.

AllNurses.Com informed the public of Brian’s death in a post that has since been revised. The post was seen 111,595 times. 249 comments were posted on the site, in response to the news.

“It is with great regret and a very heavy heart that I have to share some very sad news with you. There is no easy way to say this. … Brian and his family have been killed,” stated AllNurses.Com on Thursday. “The news is calling it an apparent murder-suicide. … No matter what the details are, the results are still the same … a very tragic loss for the extended families, friends, co-workers and this nursing community.”