Milpitas family found dead in apartment; identified; The police are investigating murder-suicide

Milpitas police provided an update on the death of a family found in their home Tuesday, saying the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide.

In an update Thursday, Lt. Tyler Jamison identified the family as 36-year-old Vinh Nguyen, his wife, 36-year-old Becky Pham, their nine-year-old son and their four-year-old daughter. At the family’s request, police did not release the children’s names.

Police were called to her home at the Turing Apartments at 1355 McCandless Drive Tuesday around 9 p.m to conduct a welfare check after relatives said they had not heard from the family for several days. All four family members were found dead.

While the cause of death is still under investigation by the Santa Clara County coroner, all four people suffered a single gunshot wound.

Police identified Nguyen as the suspect responsible for the incident. A handgun officially registered to Nguyen was found at the scene.

“This tragedy is a difficult reminder of the importance of addressing domestic violence and gun violence,” Jamison said Thursday. “The loss of her life was preventable and there is help available for anyone experiencing hardship, whether it be domestic violence, gun violence or mental health issues.”

Jamison said the incident likely occurred over the weekend. There had previously been no calls to the address.

Jerry Saldana lived above the crime scene and told CBS News Bay Area on Wednesday that the news was shocking.

“It’s scary. You know, we have a family,” Saldana said. “We have children ourselves, and considering we are, you know, right above the unit where it happened and have no information about it.”

Police said the city of Milpitas has a suicide prevention task force that works closely with Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services. The county’s Suicide Crisis Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 1-855-278-4204 or by texting Renew to 741741. The services are free and confidential. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can also be reached at 1-800-273-8255 or 988.

Resources for families experiencing domestic violence, including 24-hour crisis hotlines, crisis counseling and safety planning, and other services, can be found on the County of Santa Clara website.