Authorities believe mother shot three year-year-old son in Pembroke murder-suicide
Police are investigating a possible murder-suicide involving a woman and a child at a single-family residence in Pembroke. Sruthi Gopalakrishnan—Monitor staff
Police are investigating a possible murder-suicide involving a woman and a child at a single-family residence in Pembroke. Sruthi Gopalakrishnan—Monitor staff
Police are investigating a possible murder-suicide involving a woman and a child at a residence in Pembroke. Sruthi Gopalakrishnan / Monitor staff
|
Published: 05-09-2025 9:17 AM
Modified: 05-09-2025 5:07 PM |
Officials believe a Pembroke mother killed her three-year-old son and then herself early Friday morning.
The apparent murder-suicide occurred at approximately 1 a.m. inside a single-family residence at 336 Pembroke Hill Road, according to the Office of the Attorney General.
Pembroke Police responded to a 911 call from another resident of the house and discovered Julia Byrne, 26, and Blake Byrne, 3, in a bedroom with gunshot wounds to the head, according to a statement released Friday afternoon. The boy was transported to Concord Hospital and was later pronounced dead. The mother was dead inside the home.
An individual in the home told police they went to the room after hearing two gunshots and discovered both mother and son injured.
The site of the shooting, a two-story yellow shingled house at the top of a hill, was cordoned off with crime scene tape early Friday morning as investigators took forensic photos. State and Pembroke police officers at the scene declined to comment.
The house is in a quiet, rural area of Pembroke, less than one mile from Pembroke’s elementary school.
“I don’t know who lived there and I don’t think I ever saw them come out of the house,” said Ryan Demers, a neighbor who has lived on Pembroke Hill Road for two years.
“As far I knew, they pretty much kept to themselves,” he added.
Article continues after...
Yesterday's Most Read Articles
‘I thought we had some more time’ – Coping with the murder-suicide of a young Pembroke mother and son
Owners of Lewis Farm prepare to bring back agritourism after long dispute with city of Concord
Historic Tilton Island Park Bridge will be reopened unless Trump takes back a federal grant
Five former Concord Crush girls at St. Paul’s are soon to leave the nest to play NCAA Women’s Lacrosse
As Canadian travel to the U.S. falls, North Country businesses are eyeing this Victoria Day weekend to predict impacts in New Hampshire
‘Folks who use it should pay for it’ — City manager proposes clubhouse plan with smaller tax impact
Other neighbors also said they did not know the family or declined to comment.
The house has been owned by William P. Byrne since 2012, according to town property records.
As news of the shooting broke at around 8 a.m. Friday morning, school began as normal in the 7,500-person town, though some parents began to pick up their children, according to School Board Chair Kerri Dean.
“Obviously people are quite on edge,” Dean said.
Select Board Chair Karen Yeaton said she had been briefed on the investigation by Police Chief Gary Gaskell but could not share any more information.
“It’s a tough day here in Pembroke,” Yeaton said. “Very sad.”
“The Select Board is very, very concerned about the family of the victims in the shootings,” she said. “Our deepest condolences go out to those family members, but at this time we can’t say more than that.”
Julia Byrne graduated from Pembroke Academy in 2017.
If you need help: Call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
‘I hate to leave’: Three-alarm fire in Loudon burns centuries-old home to the ground
Photos: Signs of spring
25-year-old Concord man identified as Steeplegate Mall RV fire victim
