OXFORD (AP) - Friends of a Massachusetts man -- who police say fatally shot his 7-year-old daughter, critically injured his 9-year-old son, and killed himself -- say the man had been under extreme stress recently.
Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. has said that 41-year-old Daryl Benway separated from his wife just weeks before Saturday night's shootings.
Friends and neighbors said Benway had also recently lost his job and feared foreclosure.
A family member called police after finding the bodies of Benway and his daughter, Abigail, in their Oxford home.
Benway's son, Owen, was found shot in the head in the kitchen and was taken to UMass Memorial Children's Medical Center where he remained in critical condition on Sunday night.
Benway's wife returned home after the shootings, unaware of what happened, to find police and TV crews.
A vigil was held at 7:30 p.m. Monday on Main Street in Oxford's town center, Oxford schools superintendent Allen Himmelberger said.
Hundreds gathered at the town center and began the vigil with Amazing Grace. Children passed out purple ribbons for domestic violence while others donned pink and green ribbons which are Owen and Abigail's favorite colors.
Organizers of the event spread the word on Facebook and went from 93 followers to 6,000 followers by the end of the day.
Schools officials are offering grief counseling to community members Tuesday at A.M. Chaffee Elementary School, where the late 7-year-old Abigail Benway was to start second grade next month.
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