Police say preliminary findings point to a murder-suicide after a father and his two young children died near a municipal parking garage.
MT. LEBANON, Pa. — The deaths of two young children found with their father near a municipal parking garage are being investigated as homicides in an apparent murder-suicide, authorities said Wednesday, a day after all three died in the Pittsburgh suburb.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the children as James Lynch, 8, and Caroline Lynch, 6. Their father was identified as Patrick Lynch, 42. The medical examiner determined Wednesday that both children died from multiple blunt force injuries and ruled their manners of death homicides. The cause and manner of Patrick Lynch’s death remained pending in information released Wednesday afternoon.
Police were called shortly after 4:15 p.m. Tuesday to an area behind the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building, where three people had been reported unconscious near a parking garage. First responders found the father and children with injuries consistent with an apparent fall and attempted lifesaving measures before all three were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
The Allegheny County Police Department said preliminary information indicates the deaths were a murder-suicide. Mt. Lebanon Police Chief Jason Haberman said investigators were treating the incident “not as an accident,” but authorities had not publicly disclosed what happened immediately before the three were found or what may have led to the deaths.
The county police homicide unit is leading the investigation. Authorities have not announced a motive, and investigators had released few details about the sequence of events as of Wednesday. Police also said preliminary findings indicated there was no continuing danger to the public.
The deaths occurred near Mt. Lebanon’s municipal building on Washington Road, in the community’s business district about 5 miles south of Pittsburgh. The discovery prompted a large emergency response Tuesday afternoon involving police, firefighters and medical personnel. The area remained a focus of the investigation after the three deaths were confirmed.
Haberman said the effects of the case would extend well beyond the immediate scene. “There will be a significant amount of trauma associated with this event for the community,” he said. He also offered condolences to those affected and noted the close connections among families in Mt. Lebanon.
The Mt. Lebanon School District closed Markham and Washington elementary schools Wednesday following the deaths. The district also said students at its other schools could remain home with excused absences and that counselors would be available. In a statement to families, the district said it was deeply saddened by the deaths involving members of its school community and asked that the family’s privacy be respected.
A memorial began forming near the scene Wednesday as residents brought flowers and other tributes for James and Caroline. Municipal officials later moved the memorial to the pavilion at Clearview Common, providing a gathering place away from traffic and protection from the weather.
The medical examiner’s homicide rulings for the children added an official finding to an investigation that police had initially described as an apparent murder-suicide. Authorities had not released a final determination on Patrick Lynch’s death or additional findings explaining the circumstances leading to the deaths. The county police investigation remained ongoing Wednesday.
Author note: Last updated November 4, 2026.