Student, 20, dies with brother and mum in suspected murder-suicide
A university student and her brother have been killed along with their mum in a suspected murder-suicide.
Erin Edwards, 20, and her brother, Chris, were allegedly shot dead by their 58-year-old mum, Marsha, on Wednesday in the US state of Georgia, NBC News reported.
Police told Yahoo Lifestyle in a statement the family was found dead about 6pm (local time) during a welfare check.
Christopher Edwards, who is divorced from Marsha, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution the rest of the family was in a “state of grief and shock”.
A reporter for NBC New York, where Ms Edwards had been interning as a member of its digital team, said the team was reeling from the news.
“All of us in the newsroom are just shocked to hear this news. Erin was a special person, exuberant, cheerful... when her time in the newsroom ended, she was missed,” the reporter said.
“But knowing what’s happened has been a very deep heartache that all of us are feeling today.”
Benjamin Berkowitz, Erin’s supervisor and WNBC vice president of digital, told Yahoo Lifestyle she “was a gifted storyteller with a passion for her work”.
“Her enthusiasm was infectious and her smile lit up a room,” he said.
“She was an incredibly decent, kind person who earned our admiration.
“Her talent was truly God-given. All of us at WNBC extend our condolences to Erin’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
Nancy Lowenstein, her mentor at Boston University, said Ms Edwards was “an amazing young woman”.
“She didn’t let anything stop her. Her smile lit up a room and her energy was contagious,” Ms Lowenstein said.
“She was an amazing writer and journalist. She was just a wonderful person in our Posse [scholarship group], always supportive and there, kind and giving.”
Former NBC intern had ‘extraordinary potential’
Boston University’s associate provost and dean of students Kenneth Elmore said the news was “a great loss for this community”.
According to the university, the College of Communication student was a recipient of The Posse Foundation Scholarship, awarded to those with “extraordinary academic and leadership potential.”
She was to arrive at Boston University on August 26 to fulfill a leadership position for community service and serve as ambassador for The Thurman Center, the university’s “cultural hub”.
The university shared what Erin wrote in her ambassador application.
“I’m passionate about empathy,” it read.
— Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) August 22, 2019
“I believe empathy is the solution to virtually any problem and should be the first option when dealing with conflict. As a journalist, I try to promote empathy by sharing stories of underrepresented, marginalised people and uplifting their voices.
“I’m also passionate about community, because that’s what life is all about and that’s where it all starts — building community and connecting to other human beings.”
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), of which she was a member, tweeted, “condolences, prayers, and thoughts” to the Edwards family.
According to NBC-affiliated station 11Alive, her brother managed digital content for the City of Atlanta and was employed by the Mayor's Office of Entertainment.
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