A Californian father of two shot and killed his wife and two children before turning the gun on himself in a horror murder-suicide.’

The victims are Michael Birnkrant, 51, his wife, Amy, 47 and their two children – Drew, 20, and Sean, 11.

Authorities said Michael shot his entire family dead at their home in Santa Clarita, California, where their bodies were found on Friday after neighbours didn’t see them out for days.

The home was also where Amy operated a daycare called Amy’s Corner for young children.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Rodney Moore who confirmed the massacre said they went to the house in Santa Clarita early Friday after getting a call from a neighbor.

He said the husband and wife, their college-age daughter and pre-teen son were found shot to death in what appears to be a murder-suicide in which the husband shot and killed three individuals and then turned the gun on himself.”

Investigators told KTLA-TV that the bodies were not all in one room but were spread throughout the home.

All four victims were found with gunshot wounds to the chest. The gun was located near Michael’s body.

A neighbor said that Amy Birnkrant, a former public school teacher, operated a daycare at their for two days a week.

According to her, she taught close to 12 children at a time from the neighborhood.

‘The kids were cared for amazingly,’ Barajas said. ‘Laughing and singing. They had graduations. It was a beautiful preschool.’