comment: >
  
  I live about 20 minutes away from where this happened. I feel a lot of ways about it. Obviously, the lack of access to mental health care or maybe the stigma against getting treatment for these sorts of delusions is at play here. But I think there’s an insidious aspect of the culture of this area that really needs to be addressed.
  York County is considered a suburban county, and we even have a city (York City). But a lot of the county is very rural, uneducated, and poor. I went to one of the more rural high schools, and graduated in 2010. Our class started out with just over 500 kids in 9th grade, but only 380ish graduated. While some of those kids probably moved or went to the county tech school, a LOT dropped out. The problem? The blue collar jobs around here do not pay well, and while there are a lot of farms, it’s increasingly becoming harder to run a profitable farm unless you own hundreds of acres of farmable land. The quaint family farms (most of the farms around here) can’t cut it anymore. In fact, the Amish are buying them up. We just got new Amish neighbors down the street. At the same time, a lot of Maryland money is moving into the county, especially at the southern end of the county. Maryland real estate is really expensive, so people who work in Maryland (and make more money in Towson/Baltimore etc) have been moving in for years, but I think it’s been ramping up even more now that people have more flexible work schedules. So i think poorer York County natives are dealing with skyrocketing home values in addition to inflation in all other areas of the economy as well.
  So what I’ve noticed is a lot of people here are struggling and BITTER. They need help but have drunk the bootstraps koolaide to the point that they can’t even admit they’re lower middle class/poor even though they spent their entire lives working a dirty job. They’re ashamed to get help. Also, because it’s so rural, their struggles are more hidden. Like literally, hidden in the woods. And I’m sure they resent that a lot of the assistance programs are in the city, even though they continually vote Republican and elect people who don’t believe in helping them. 
  It’s sad to see, and some of my family definitely falls into this category. But they vote for the wrong people and blame the wrong people so what can you do?
context: IYDRTA:  The dog is ok for now.  it was drugged by the family so it wouldn't attack first responders.
  Weird, tragic story, but I hope the dog at least finds a good home. >
  
  Just so sad and must be so frightening for the dog who went to sleep w its family and then come to with everything and everyone gone >
  
  Hug (or whatever yours likes) your pooch if you have one! >
  
  Daughter was suffering from hallucinations and delusions, had decided to commit suicide. Mother decided she couldn’t let her daughter die alone, so decided to die with her daughter. Father decided he couldn’t live without his family. So they all died together. Very sad case, though a testament for the need for proper mental healthcare. If the daughter had been properly treated, three lives would have been saved. >
  
  Deeply tragic story every which way.  We keep talking about the need for greater access to mental health services but it is well past time for more to be done. >
  
  We needed that tax payer money to build a new sports stadium. Sorry. 
  /s >
  
  Yeah, good thing you included the /s.
  What we ACTUALLY needed that tax payer money for were subsidies to give to companies for stock buy backs.
  Fuck, a sports stadium would’ve at least built something >
  
  A well placed stadium can turnaround a city. I used to work in a small city that had become a commuter city because there was nothing to do. It was all corporate offices. 
  A minor league baseball stadium went in and it completely revitalized that area. Small businesses boomed, there was a reason to actually stay past 5pm, and the stadium offered a good number of well-paying jobs to the local community. The growth in the tax base will more than make up for the investment and that doesn’t even touch just how much nicer it is to live there. 
  It replaced parking lots and a tire recycling shop. The city also expanded its bus fast lane out to a previously unserviced part of the city. Developers have returned to build multi-family units nearby.
  And it’s minor league which isn’t rolling in billions like the majors or the NFL. >
  
  Exactly! Finally, someone that recognizes the best cure for schizophrenia, houselessness, gun violence and poor education is simply a lack of well maintained sports stadiums. Every major city needs one. >
  
  If that’s your takeaway then by all means, be as dense as a black hole. >
  
  BRUH, read the room. You're in a thread about a suicide pact created by a schizophrenic dog poisoner talking about how sports stadiums sure do brighten up the town. Good lord, if anyone is dense here. >
  
  In a discussion about failed public infrastructure, I provided an example of how government investment in something that generates business activity is a net benefit for all. 
  It was merely a fun little anecdote. Provided hopefully so that readers might think multi-dimensionally about things like government investment. 
  But nah, just easier to take hardline all-or-nothing stance, ain’t it? No way that systematically solving things like an inadequate healthcare system might also include investments in economic growth activity to support public infrastructure and services to a wider base. After all, it’s certainly impossible for governments to focus on multiple projects at once. /s >
  
  I’m with you man, but you do have to know your audience. Most of the people you’re speaking to on here are between 12 and 15 and have no clue What are you talking about. They just regurgitate what they hear somewhere else >
  
  So instead of getting her daughter help the mom decided fuck it I'll go too? And the dad was like "well it'll suck not having my family around, guess I'm out too"? Really sounds like that whole family needed a whole lot of help. >
  
  They didn't kill the dog if y'all were wondering, and the earpro was for the gunshot to themselves I guess? But if you're killing yourselves, what's the point of protecting your ears?
  
  But the suicide pact itself was solidly planned, with police telling the outlet that there were specific instructions for the family dog to be taken care of, and the dog had been drugged so that it would not bite first responders, CBS21 reported. The family was also wearing ear protection, which could have blocked the sound of the gunshots
  
  It seems like all 3 were in on it so IDK why it's a murder-suicide
  
  The York County Coroner’s office ruled the parents’ deaths homicides, and the daughter’s death a suicide. >
  
  
  But if you're killing yourselves, what's the point of protecting your ears?
  
  Because extremely loud noises still hurt? People who are committing suicide dont want it to hurt mate... >
  
  
  People who are committing suicide dont want it to hurt mate...
  
  This breaks my heart. >
  
  But why? You'd prefer they want it to hurt? I understand just the fact anyone wants to die is heartbreaking, but if they're going to, I should only hope they want it painless/don't want to suffer or be scared (as if, though. Sadly too many people who survive have said they regret it, but others try again and again. If you're having suicidal thoughts, just know it's an illness and you deserve both LIFE and LOVE and to LIVE, and there is help at the hotlines, REAL HELP, and we love you. You're needed and the thoughts can be squashed. Don't make a permanent solution to a temporary problem. The thing about life is, there's always more problems! That's the beauty. Hope you find help, ask for it if you need it) >
  
  
  But why? You'd prefer they want it to hurt? I
  
  ...that's not at all what I meant. I don't want anyone to suffer and the mental anguish someone who attempts suicide is going through is heartbreaking. That they just want to stop the pain is heartbreaking. That they don't want to hurt anymore is heartbreaking. Idk if you are being pedantic or not but it's annoying. >
  
  Damn. Must've been a close family. It's a shame they didn't seek help for her paranoia and hallucinations. >
  
  It’s sad but the religious community used to be the source for mental healthcare but it hasn’t been for sometime. Sounds like her parents were religious nut jobs and couldn’t accept her mental illness as some sort of neurological disorder and may have had some distrust of the help that would be available. So instead of getting their child care they may have double downed on the religion which sounds like a nightmare for their poor daughter who was experiencing hallucinations etc. 
  I also find the suicides ironic bc as far as I’m aware the Christian communities look down strongly on and even condemn those who unfortunately commit suicide
  I will also note schizophrenia is strongly hereditary so there’s a good likelihood one of the parents had it or one of the grandparents. Sounds like an unfortunate tragedy. >
  
  It's very common in rural PA for religious people to use their churches for mental health care, still. It's not a great solution depending on the church, you're probably just gonna sit with the pastor while they try and tackle an issue they have literally no qualifications to treat. 
  Best case, the church in question believes in modern medicine and mental healthcare and encourages you to utilize therapy in addition to church counseling services - worst case you're being called a godless heathen for going through post partum depression or something. I know women who've ended up kind of 'marrying' into some of these weird little appalachian churches and it's a total shitshow. PA goes from northeast megalopolis to snake dancing for christ real fast. >
  
  York, PA is not rural. >
  
  The city of York is not - how does that negate my point if you can drive 10 minutes outside of York and straight up hit amish country or truly rural areas - that's true for most cities in the state outside of Philly and Pittsburgh that have extensive trailing suburbs, and there are hyper religious groups in the suburbs around those areas too, I'm just speaking of my own personal experience with small mountain churches. >
  
  At least they didn't kill the dog >
  
  Honestly - that poor fucking dog. >
  
  Very hard to read this story. I have an uncle who took his own life, but this is on another level. I can’t understand the parents in this situation, as a parent myself, it is not within me to see death to this extent as an answer to a problem in this context. There’s a million questions, but ultimately this is a sign that people/companies need to talk about mental health way more and have more professional medical support. You can get a cough looked at, but if you say your depressed most doctors roll their eyes. If you feel like life is too much to bear, ask for help, there is no shame in feeling hopeless, powerless or depressed. You can talk to me if you want. We as a society need to make it less taboo, be there for each other and have that dialogue as acceptable in our daily conversations. >
  
  She was hallucinating and deluded, clearly a state of psychosis. That is a powerful combo for a "hell on earth" sort of feeling. Struggling with that for months or years leads lots of people to suicide. The thing here is that she was truthful to her parents about her intentions and they agreed that after watching her suffer for a long time that it was the best outcome. 
  I was close to this point myself a few times with delusions before, but I didn't tell anyone and managed to get through it, mostly through drinking myself numb. Even with medication, which most people think fully treats these disorders, the meds don't always work all the way, sometimes dulling the psychosis is all you can do. 
  I can see how the parents reached that conclusion. I'm not thrilled about it, but I empathize. >
  
  Well that’s the saddest shit I’ve read today. >
  
  Stop reading now :-( >
  
  In this country punishment is free. Help will cost you. >
  
  Interesting choice to wear ear protection while you’re all committing suicide together. >
  
  I imagined it was along the lines of Sylvia Plath talking about slitting your wrists with the lights off. It makes it easier to do. >
  
  Good point. >
  
  I'm not sure how much I like that it occurred to me, but thank you. >
  
  Well at least the dog lived >
  
  A little suspicious, isn’t it? >
  
  The purrfect crime I’d say >
  
  That’s a cat >
  
  Exactly. Already off to Mexico by meow >
  
  Drastic paw-lastic surgery to change his appearance. >
  
  Full credit to these people for seeing to the dog's safety. >
  
  This is so sad. Mental health access needs to be prioritized but it's not. In my hometown a universally loved middle school teacher and his wife (who was also a teacher) were stabbed by their son who was in the throes of religious hallucinations and violent delusions. They sought alternative care for him rather than putting him in a facility and tried to keep his disease quiet. The wife survived and the son is in a facility rather than prison. >
  
  Finally scheduled an appointment for first time therapy today. Take your mental health seriously you are loved >
  
  Good for you! That was a really big and very important decision! >
  
  Holy fuck. This is a couple minutes from my house growing up. I probably rode my bike by this house a hundred times. Damn.