Police identify father, 2 children in suspected homicide-suicide

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Police say they have identified a 36-year-old Oregon man who fatally shot his two young children and himself at the apartment complex where they lived.

Authorities on Thursday said the man was Lakalo Kawika Enfield. The two children were 6-year-old Lakalo Vergara Enfield and his 8-year-old sister, Lehua Elaysea Enfield.

When police officers entered the apartment, they initially thought, based on substantial gunshot wounds, that all three people were dead, said Beaverton police spokesman Mike Rowe.

As they backed out of the apartment to preserve evidence and the crime scene, however, Rowe said they heard rustling inside and then a single gunshot.

A tactical negotiation team then entered the unit and confirmed all three people inside were dead.

Beaverton police last week responded to a verbal disturbance between Kawika and his wife but there were no signs of assault, the Oregonian/OregonLive.com reported.

The newspaper also said the children were in first and second grade at Greenway Elementary School in Beaverton.

Josh Summerfield said his daughter is a student at the same school, and she watched the news with him.

Summerfield said he doesn’t know the family but the tragedy impacts a lot of people, including his daughter, KGW.com reported.

“She shared some tears out of concern because she doesn’t know if she knows the children or not, and even if she doesn’t know them, it’s still a tragic thing.”

Beaverton is about 8 miles west of Portland.