Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer on Wednesday revealed the results of an investigation into a deadly shooting and house fire in East Lansdowne earlier this month.
Stollsteimer revealed that an uncle shot and killed four members of the Le family before setting the home ablaze and killing himself.
The flames, the DA said, then took the life of the youngest member of the family.
And, while officials now know how they died, Stollsteimer said, they may never know just why the incident occurred.
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“Nobody knows what, nobody knows why, I’m never going to be able to answer that question for you," he said.
Killed in the incident were, Britni McLaughlin-Le and her husband, Xuong Le, along with their three children: Natalya Le, 17; Nakayla Le, 13; and Xavier Le, 10.
Stollsteimer has said that they were all killed by Canh Le -- the 43-year-old uncle of the three children and brother of Xuong Le -- who killed himself after setting a fire that destroyed the family's home.
Stollsteimer said officials were able to identify the children's remains through dental records and the adults were identified using DNA evidence. And, he said, investigation showed four of the victims were fatally shot, though the youngest, 10-year-old Xavier Le, died of smoke inhalation.
The incident that led to this tragedy began at about 3:47 p.m. on the afternoon of Feb. 7, when officers responded to a home along Lewis Avenue in East Lansdowne after a report that a child had been shot.
When the officers arrived at the scene, a gunman inside the home -- later identified as Canh Le -- immediately opened fire, police said.
Stollsteimer said that the incident began after an argument erupted between Canh Le and his niece, Nakayla -- though what the argument entailed, the DA didn't know.
“Everybody wants to know why. I don’t think we will ever get an answer. Canh Le took that answer to his grave,” said Stollsteimer.
But, he said, during that argument, Canh went to grab a Diamondback DB15 pistol with a long barrel. That's when the shooting started, Stollsteimer said.
“He used that to then shoot the other members of his family," said Stollsteimer.
The other two people in the house, the parents of Xuong and Canh -- and grandparents of the children -- fled outside and made the 9-1-1 call that brought police to their door, said Stollsteimer.
“This is an absolute, unmitigated tragedy for everybody in this community,” he said.
Stollsteimer said police are still trying to determine if Canh Le legally owned the gun he used to kill his family members, but, he was not prohibited from owning a gun.
Stollsteimer also said they are closing the criminal case in this incident.
“There’s nobody, obviously, to charge in this matter,” said Stollsteimer.
Both police officers were shot once, were wounded and have since been treated and released from the hospital.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
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