On Thursday, August 24, in Lake Township, approximately 15 miles southeast of Akron, Ohio, officials discovered five deceased family members in their home during a routine check.
The individuals were identified as Jason Dunham, 46, Melissa Dunham, 42, and their children Renee, 15, Amber, 12, and Evan, 9.
Law enforcement, responding to a wellness check after Melissa’s co-worker hadn’t heard from her in two days, found the scene at 7:30 pm. The Stark County Coroner’s Office stated that all five had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead by 9:52 pm. The gun was registered to Jason Dunham and his wound appeared to be self-inflicted.
Preliminary investigations suggest a domestic dispute as the cause. The Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation is involved in the evidence collection.
The victims’ affiliations include the Lake Local School District for the children, and for Melissa Dunham, a partnership at Bober Markey Fedorovich & Co., an accounting firm in Fairlawn.
The family had lived in the community for 18 years.
