Birthday Party Horror: Dad Kills Twins in Murder-Suicide as Their Mom Reveals the Haunting Sounds She Heard Before the Tragedy

Joseph and Greysen Chavez were fatally shot by their father on Sunday, June 7, inside a California residence

Greysen and Joseph Chavez (left); and family members seen outside the residence.

Authorities and neighbors are sharing more information about the circumstances surrounding the tragic murder-suicide that claimed the lives of 10-year-old twins over the weekend in California.

The boys, identified by police as Joseph and Greysen Chavez, were killed by their father who then turned the gun on himself at the Los Angeles, Calif. residence on Sunday, June 7, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said in a statement.

The father was identified by mynewsLA.com as 37-year-old Gabriel Chavez, and according to the outlet and KTLA, citing police, he shot at the children’s mother as well but missed.

She reportedly told officers that she heard two pops and when she went to inspect what happened, he closed the door and shot at her, mynewsLA.com reported.

The boys had been shot in the head, according to the LAPD, per KTLA.

Neighbors allege the family was at a birthday party when the children were killed, according to KTLA, NBC Los Angeles and CBS News.

In a heartbreaking scene outside the residence, as captured on video by ABC 7, family members are seen wailing and distraught, surrounded by police cars and neighbors.

In a GoFundMe set up to help the children’s mother, the family is remembering the boys as “funny, goofy, and full of personality,” who liked to make people laugh.

“Whether they were being silly, dancing, or just being themselves, Greysen and Joseph brought so much joy into the lives of the people who loved them,” the fundraiser reads. “Their laughter was contagious, their hearts were big, and they had so much love to give.”

The larger community has also shown up for the family following the killings.

“Even though I didn’t know the family, I thought they needed some prayers, and thoughts,” said one neighbor who showed up outside the residence, per ABC 7.

“There’s nothing I can do other than just try to leave something, to share some energy,” Danica Morrison, who was among a crowd gathering at a memorial for the twin boys, told NBC LA earlier this week.

A motive behind the killings was not immediately clear.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Cre: PEOPLE