A woman in New Hampshire who police say fatally shot her husband and two of their children before taking her own life had been sharing increasingly concerning updates on social media in the months before the tragedy.
Authorities identified the deceased as 34-year-old Emery Long, her husband Ryan Long, 48, and their two children, ages six and eight. A three-year-old child was found unharmed inside the home in Madbury.
Police responded to the residence on Monday, August 18, and autopsies later confirmed that Emery killed her family members with a handgun before turning the weapon on herself, according to the state attorney general’s office.
The Department of Justice reported: “Based on the evidence, in the early morning hours of August 18, Ms. Long used a firearm from the residence to take the lives of Ryan Long and their children, Parker and Ryan, before immediately taking her own life.”
In recent months, Emery had been posting openly about her struggles online. Her messages began in April, shortly after she revealed her husband had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. On TikTok, she admitted she felt she was “withering away,” saying she knew she needed support and hoped she could ask for help before it was “too late.”
She frequently spoke about Ryan’s treatment — including surgery and chemotherapy — as well as the emotional toll on her and their children.
In what is believed to be her last video, Emery admitted her children were having a difficult time. She said: “All I want to do is hide under a blanket with my kids, but that isn’t healthy for them or for me. Today I decided I have to make a conscious effort to change my mindset. I’m going to fight my way out of this depression. I am determined to create normalcy.”
Mother of three revealed to have gunned down terminally ill husband and two children at their stunning home days after disturbing social media posts https://t.co/SoaBKxR5HZ
— Daily Mail US (@Daily_MailUS) August 21, 2025
Assistant Attorney General Ben Agati cautioned against speculating on the family’s private circumstances, noting that investigators are still searching for a clear motive. “The biggest question right now is why. And that may be the hardest part — understanding how something like this could happen,” he told WCAX.