Police: Woman Kills Self, Daughters

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Louisville Metro Police are investigating a murder-suicide involving a mother and her two daughters.

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Police said a family member came to check on a home in the 200 block of Appomattox Road in South Louisville and found three people dead inside.

Police have confirmed the mother, 35-year-old Hope Orwick, killed her two daughters, Emily Orwick, 9, and Lindsey Orwick, 8, then shot herself.

Family friends said that Orwick's husband and the girls' father, Chris, committed suicide about three years ago.

"It's kind of a shock today because we just found out this morning," said family friend Shawn Kennell. "We had to pick up my daughter from day care and it was really hard to explain to her what exactly was going on. We had Emily over the weekend and there's not much that I felt that anything like this could have possibly happened."

Both girls attended Auburndale Elementary School. Classes are not in session Tuesday due to parent-teacher conferences. School will resume Wednesday. Officials said that counselors will be available for students.

"The mom was very supportive," said school counselor Wendy Anderson. "She was making sure that Lindsey was here and taking her to class. Emily was her big sister and always there to support her."

Deputy Coroner Bob Jones said both girls died Monday of stab wounds, but he couldn’t say how many times they were stabbed pending an autopsy scheduled for Tuesday.

Detectives are still investigating the motive behind the slayings.