Mother and Three Children Shot Before Being in Burned Home

(ProsperNews.net) – A mother and three children found dead inside a burning Indiana home had been shot, authorities say. Firefighters found 35-year-old Naomi Briner and her kids in a house near Madison that was ablaze when they arrived. The fire crews attempted life-saving emergency medical intervention, but all four were pronounced dead at the scene.

The children were identified as 12-year-old Adelia, 8-year-old Leland, and 6-year-old Ilya by Sgt. Stephen Wheeles of Indiana State Police. Sgt. Wheeles also said that all four of the victims had gunshot wounds but stressed he did not believe there was an imminent threat to public safety. Indiana State Police are working with the Indiana Fire Marshal’s Office, Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office, Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the incident thoroughly, Mr. Wheeles added.

Naomi, who was a nurse and campaigned to raise awareness about epilepsy, kept a record of her family life on Facebook, where a neighbor posted, “I know you will definitely be missed by your family and your friends they will have so many memories to remember you as the sweet, friendly loving person.”

While police have not speculated on the cause of the fire or gunshot wounds and have not publicly identified any suspect, investigations show that the use of arson to cover up other crimes is common and increasing. In 2022, the Ohio State Fire Marshal conducted a study and found that around 40% of fires in the state resulted from arson.

State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon also concluded that instances of setting fires to conceal separate crimes were growing. “The use of arson as a weapon of violence and crime concealment is a concerning trend,” he said, before adding that the economic consequences are “staggering” and cost millions of dollars in lost and damaged property annually.

During the COVID pandemic, when many crime figures fell due to lockdown, arson was one of the few that increased. It grew 19% nationally in 2020.