GoFundMe Page Started to Cover Funeral Expenses For Murdered Duluth Family
Tragedy struck the Northland Wednesday, when a murder-suicide took the lives of a Duluth family in Duluth's East Hillside neighborhood.
According to our media partners at WDIO-TV, the murder victims were 44-year-old Riana Lou Barry, 47-year-old Sean Christopher Barry, 12-year-old Shiway Elizabeth Barry, and 9-year-old Sadie Lucille Barry, who were all fatally shot while they were sleeping. The family dog was also found deceased in the home.
The Duluth Police Department confirmed that it was their nephew, 29-year-old Brandon Taylor Cole-Skogstad, who committed the murders before taking his own life as police approached the crime scene.
The Duluth Police Department posted an update on their investigation Thursday, confirming that Wednesday's tragic chain of events began for them at 12:12 p.m. on April 20, when they responded to a report of an individual experiencing a mental health crisis. That individual was Brandon Taylor Cole-Skogstad, who lived in Hermantown.
Hermantown police first received the call and were unable to locate or contact him, but they did contact a family member who said Cole-Skogstad had sent a message saying that he intended to harm himself and other family members, a chilling message which he also placed on social media.
Hermantown Police Department then contacted the Duluth Police Department to tell them of the situation, and provided a Duluth address that Cole-Skogstad’s aunt and uncle owned on the 700 block of East 12th Street.
It was there that Duluth Police made the gruesome discovery.
Duluth Mayor Emily Larson, who was out of town when the incident occurred offered her condolences to the family as well as her gratitude towards the first responders.
“On every level, this incident is deeply painful for our community," Mayor Emily Larson said. “Especially impacted are the neighbors of East Hillside and first responders. Thank you to neighbors for taking good care of one another and for knowing the beautiful parts of the Barry family. Thank you to DPD for answering the call of public safety. I’m sorry for what you experienced, which is deeply traumatic. As a parent and member of a family, it is wrenching to consider what the Barry family might be feeling. There is only loss to every part of this story. To the Barry family: our community mourns with you and we share in your pain. Because your loss is our community’s loss."
Now, a GoFundMe page has been started for the Barry family, who left behind "their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and many many friends."
The page states the shocking loss of this special family left their family and friends unprepared to properly handle the financial aftermath of the situation.
They started the page hoping to raise $50,000 to help pay for the cost of funeral services, burial, memorial, expenses of travel and lodging in Duluth as well as other related costs.
The page was started on Thursday, April 21 and as of noon on Friday, April 22 just over $24,000 had been raised.
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