A father shot his wife and six children before killing himself in their burning home, police said. Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, his wife Amanda Karolkiewicz, 39, and their six children, ages five to 15, were found dead in Grand Haven Township on Friday morning.
Eight deaths confirmed as murder-suicide
All eight deaths were caused by gunshot wounds in a suspected murder-suicide, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office said. Kristopher Karolkiewicz, who worked for the American Heart Association, had his employment ended days before the killings. He is believed to have shot them all before setting their home on fire and committing suicide. The family’s pets also perished in the fire.
Wife's Reddit posts detail affair
Amanda Karolkiewicz had exposed her husband’s affair with an intern on the 'As One After Infidelity' section on Reddit. She described her life in Grand Haven as 'like living in a Hallmark movie' before it was wrecked by the revelation. She wrote: 'He was divorced and older than me … fast forward ten years and five kids, he was cheating with the intern again – the same age I was when I was the intern.'
'After about a year of self-loathing, I remember crying and looking at myself in the mirror and realising how f***ed up it was that I was the one who was living so miserably because of what he did. I finally realised that I had been the only person who has ever showed up for myself my whole entire life.'
Struggles to hold family together
She found the idea of leaving her husband 'insanely terrifying' and strained to hold the family together. 'I kept telling myself, “I love my kids more than I hate my husband right now.” They have no idea – faked it ’till we made it,' she wrote in a 2024 post. 'We’re in a much better place 4.5 years out, but it’s still a fight to stay in a healthy place.'
'He’s always had major red flags that I ignored due to my own trauma and anxious attachment. He was raised in a toxic family dynamic that encouraged lying about everything.' She said things had got physical between the couple in furious rows.
Family blog portrayed 'perfect' life
Amanda wrote a blog detailing their family life. Their first child was born on April 25, 2011, which she called 'the best day of my life (so far).' Two more sons followed, and she shifted from banking to part-time work before stopping outside work. The couple later adopted two daughters and had another biological son. The blog frequently expressed her Christian faith and love for her husband.
Kris Karolkiewicz hailed their life together: 'I’m a very lucky guy,' he wrote in a 2019 Facebook post ahead of their 10th anniversary. Amanda continued sharing updates on TikTok, including a trip to China earlier this month.
Fire and discovery
Officials got calls about a smoky smell around the home Friday morning, checked but found nothing. After more calls three hours later, they returned, saw smoke, and found the bodies, at least some in bedrooms. Also found were the family’s dogs and at least one cat that perished.
Friends have launched a fundraiser to set up a scholarship in the children’s name. Amanda’s parents shared a statement remembering her as 'a kind and devoted soul who loved her family and her students.' Grand Haven Public Schools recognized her as a substitute teacher who 'goes above and beyond for students.'
