Toddler and Grandparents Die in Apparent Murder-suicide After 911 Call
WHO:
US Magazine - Authorities identified the toddler as 22-month-old Kozzar.
TMZ - The people found dead were 67-year-old Gale Sanders, 51-year-old Melissa Campbell, and a toddler with disabilities.
NY Post - Three people, including a disabled toddler, were found dead.
WHAT:
US Magazine - The grandparents had been helping care for the toddler because of his medical disabilities.
US Magazine - Authorities said the deaths followed a series of 911 calls.
TMZ - Sanders, Campbell, and the toddler were found shot to death; police said evidence pointed to a murder-suicide.
NY Post - Three people were found shot dead in an apparent murder-suicide.
TMZ - A 911 call sought “help.”
NY Post - A 911 caller softly pleaded for “help.”
WHERE:
TMZ - The deaths occurred inside the family’s Ohio home.
NY Post - The deaths occurred at an Ohio home.
HOW:
US Magazine - The Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the identities of the three people.
TMZ - The three people were shot to death.
NY Post - The three people were shot dead.
(UPDATED October 24, 2026 04:06 UTC)
A 22-month-old boy and his two grandparents were found shot to death inside their Ohio home in what authorities say appears to be a murder-suicide. The toddler was identified as Kozzar and had disabilities. His grandparents, 67-year-old Gale Sanders and 51-year-old Melissa Campbell, had been helping care for him because of his medical needs. The Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the identities of all three victims. Authorities said the deaths followed a series of 911 calls. In one call, a person softly pleaded for “help.” Police said evidence pointed to a murder-suicide, though the details described do not identify who fired the shots or how the events unfolded. The case left three people dead, including a young child who relied on family members for care.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 16:20 UTC)
Three people, including a toddler with disabilities, were found shot to death inside a family home in Ohio. The dead were identified as 67-year-old Gale Sanders, 51-year-old Melissa Campbell, and the toddler. Police said evidence pointed to an apparent murder-suicide. A 911 call from the home included a quiet plea for “help.” The call sought assistance as the deadly incident unfolded, though further details about what happened inside the home were not provided. Authorities have not publicly described the circumstances leading up to the shootings. The deaths of the two adults and the child are being treated as connected, based on the evidence cited by police. The investigation centers on the shooting deaths inside the Ohio residence.