Indiana man killed wife, 3 kids in murder-suicide after she told him about divorce plans: family

GARY, Ind. (WLS) -- ABC7 is hearing from family of the woman and children shot and killed in what the Lake County, Indiana coroner is calling a murder-suicide.

Briana Payne, her three daughters and her husband were all found dead in a Lake Station trailer home Friday afternoon.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

"Oh, my word. The quiet now without them is just so unreal," said Lili Owens, Bri's mother.

Holding her newest grandbaby, born to a separate daughter, Owens is left to grieve the loss of three other granddaughters and their mother, Bri.

"The babies were such joys. They were little tornadoes, absolute tornadoes. They would just level a place when they went through. You knew they had been there," Owens said.

Aurorah Payne, Ava Payne and Alayna Payne, along with their mother were the victims of a murder-suicide shooting in Lake Station. Owens says her daughter was always with her children and was a secretary for the parent-teacher organization and a licensed caregiver.

"She went out of her way to help anybody, anytime, anywhere, whatever they needed. She was Johnny on the spot, right there for them," Owens.

The family was discovered shot to death on Friday afternoon. Robert Payne, 31, also died from a gunshot wound. The Lake County Coroner's Office ruled his death a suicide.

Cathryn Presley employed Bri at her childcare facility, Precious Lil' Jewels Early Childhood Enrichment, several years ago, and the three girls also attended. Presley says the two parted ways in 2022, she says, because of Bri's relationship with her husband.

"Anybody that wanted to get close to her or the kids, he wanted to create isolation," Presley said. "We all knew that there were red flags."

Owens says just days before Bri was killed, she had told her husband she was planning to file for divorce.

"Anybody suffering from mental illness, or if you have family members mental illness, please get help. Please get help. Don't do this. Anybody else," Owens said.

Owens says if sharing their story saves even one family, it will help give the lives of her daughter and granddaughters meaning.

A GoFundMe has been started for the family.

You can contact the Illinois domestic violence hotline at 1-877-863-6338 click here for more information.

If you are experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises please call or text the new three digit code at 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org or dial the current toll free number 800-273-8255 [TALK].