Jeaninne LePage has been named as the woman who allegedly shot and killed two of her kids while wounding another. The horrifying incident took place in Tabernacle, New Jersey, on November 20. Police were first called to the home at 9 a.m. after another family member realized nobody had gotten out of bed.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. One of Her Children Survived & Is in ‘Extraordinarily Critical’ Condition
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One of her children, Alexander, 11, survived the attack and is listed in “extraordinarily critical” condition. A relative, MacKenzie LePage, posted the above message of encouragement for him on her Instagram.
The New Jersey State Police said on its Facebook page that after being called to the home along Holly Park Drive in Tabernacle, New Jersey, officers found a boy and girl dead of gunshot wounds. WABC reports that the deceased children have been named as Nadia Harriman, 8, and Nicholas Harriman, 14.
Nadia Harriman (Screengrab via WABC)
According to his Facebook page, Nicholas was a student at Seneca High School. On his Instagram he says that he was a member of the school’s robotics team. His Snapchat, Kik and Ask.fm screen names are all variations on the name “Slenderman.” The Internet-created monster myth who kills children if they don’t properly worship him.
Nick Harriman. (Instagram)
In July, he posted this photo to his Instagram:
According to New Jersey State Police, the gun used in the attack was not bought by LePage but had been in the family for a long time.
2. She Shot Herself in the Head but Didn’t Die
LePage, 44, attempted suicide after the incident and is in critical condition in Cooper Hospital, according to the New Jersey State Police. She shot herself in the head, reports WABC.
CBS Philadelphia reports that all of the family members were shot with the same handgun. All of the children were found in the same bed. According to the New Jersey State Police, they believe LePage killed her kids and that she used a pillow to muffle the sound of the shots.
3. LePage Had Money Troubles
#Tabernacle shooting update: Jeaninne LePage, 44, ID’d as mother. She and 10-year-old still critical @njdotcom http://t.co/lROSXOZUxN
ABC Philadelphia reports that LePage had been undergoing money troubles which may have contributed to her actions. Though the New Jersey State Police conceded in a news conference that they “may never know…what the motive was.”
Five other people live in the home, NJ.com reports that it was one of those people who called the police. State police Detective Geoff Noble said “It’s going to be a long time before we know exactly what happened.” The children’s father was not there at the time. According to Nicholas Harriman’s Ask.fm, his father lives in Maryland. She moved into the home with her kids in August, according to neighbors. The house belonged to the children’s grandparents.
ABC Philadelphia reports that she had money troubles and that she was unemployed at the time of the shooting. According to her Facebook page, LePage was trained as a “Private Duty Nurse and Nurse.”
4. She Was Passionate About Dogs
LePage’s Facebook page.
According to her Facebook page, LePage was very much into her dogs. Her background image is a MEME that shows a dog tied up with the words “Abandoning a dog, means killing it.” Her profile pic shows her dog, Bumble. She tells a friend in comments under that pic that her children named the dog. He was a rescue.
5. Tabernacle Has Basically No Crime
Tabernacle is a small town in central New Jersey’s Burlington County. It’s the hometown of Oakland Athletics pitcher Sean Doolittle. The population of the township is 7,170 with an almost non-existent crime rate, according to City Data.
.@FOX29philly .Candlelight vigil underway in Tabernacle in wake of tragic shootings here. 100s gather#fox29 http://t.co/C1E1hw0b8Y
According to the Tabernacle Township Facebook page, a vigil was held on November 20 for the children at the local town hall. A woman who lives along Holly Park Drive told CBS Philadelphia, “This is a very quiet street. We’ve lived here for 30-some years and never had any problems.” A 12-year-old neighbor Caleb Rodriguez told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the kids were happy and that he used to ride scooters with them and jump on their trampoline.