Mother shoots two children before taking own life while husband was away on business trip

A mother in Florida fatally shot her two children before taking her own life while her husband was away on a business trip, authorities have said.

Monika Rubacha, 44, was found dead alongside her son, Josh James, 14, and 11-year-old daughter, Emma James, at their home in Lakewood Ranch.

Her husband, Richard James, was traveling in South America for work when he contacted local authorities after he had not heard from his family for more than a day.

Deputies with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the property at around 8:30pm on Thursday, where they discovered the three bodies with what officials described as visible “traumatic” injuries.

Police found three dead bodies at a home in Lakewood Ranch, Florida (Picture: Manatee County Sheriff’s Office)

Sheriff’s spokesperson Randy Warren told reporters that it was immediately clear something was wrong.

“Right away, you could tell something wasn’t right,” Warren said. “There were signs of homicidal violence.”

Investigators later confirmed that Rubacha killed both children in separate rooms before taking her own life. Local reports indicated the children were shot, though the medical examiner has not yet released the official causes of death.

Monika Rubacha, 44, killed her son, 14 and 11-year-old daughter, police said (Picture: Facebook)

Authorities believe Josh may have died earlier than his sister and mother, according to regional media reports.

Police emphasized that no one else was involved in the incident and that there were no prior calls or known disturbances at the address. The family had moved to the area approximately three years ago.

“This is a violent scene,” Warren said. “It’s horrible to even imagine what would have been going through the mind of this mother that led up to this.”

The investigation remains ongoing.