Grand Meadow, Minnesota: Sheriff Rules Deaths of Father and Three Sons a Murder-Suicide After House Fire

The Mower County Sheriff's Office said on Wednesday that a father and his three young sons who were found dead after a house fire in Grand Meadow on Sunday died in a murder-suicide. Sheriff Steve Sandvik identified the boys as Oliver James Christenson, 14, Felix Richard Christenson, 14, and Calvin Jones Christenson, 7. Sandvik said each boy's death was ruled a homicide by gunshot wound. Their father, Levi David Christenson, 38, died by suicide from a gunshot wound, the sheriff said.

Firefighters found the four inside the single family home in the 100 block of First Street Northeast after crews were called to the fire just before 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 8. The Grand Meadow Fire Department and the Grand Meadow Ambulance service responded. The sheriff's office withheld the names while the family was notified. On Monday, deputies confirmed that the dead were an adult man and three boys and said investigators were working to establish how the fire started and how the four died.

What investigators have confirmed

Wednesday's update from Sandvik gave the cause and manner of death for all four members of the family. It gave no new information about the fire itself. The sheriff said the investigation remains active and ongoing, and that several questions cannot be answered until further forensic analysis is complete. Because of the complex nature of the case, the sheriff's office said no further public information is expected for now.

Sandvik said the tragedy has touched all parts of the small community and asked that the privacy of everyone involved be respected. In a statement issued through law enforcement, the family thanked neighbors for their support and first responders for their work, and asked for privacy while they grieve.

A town gathers to grieve

A prayer vigil was scheduled for Wednesday night at St. Finbarr Catholic Church in Grand Meadow, starting at 7 p.m. A fundraiser for the boys' mother had raised more than $44,000 by Tuesday, according to community reports. The fundraiser describes the three boys as their mother's pride and joy and the center of her world.

Grand Meadow is a town of a few hundred people in southern Minnesota, about 25 miles southeast of Rochester. News of the ruling spread through the community on Wednesday afternoon, three days after firefighters answered the Sunday morning call.

Anyone who is struggling or in crisis can call or text 988 in the United States to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The service is free and runs at all hours.