His wife wanted a divorce — so he shot her and their 12-year-old triplets, police say
On June 28, Charlene Ann Orsi filed a petition in court to divorce Bob Orsi, her husband of 23 years.
She asked for child support, alimony and full custody of her 12-year-old triplets and their older sister, according to The Wetumpka Herald.
The Elmore County Sheriff's Office said she sought a split from her husband because she accused him of using drugs.
On July 7, Bob Orsi shot his wife and his triplets at their home in Wetumpka, Alabama — and then doused the house in gasoline before setting it ablaze, police told WSFA. The U.S. Air Force veteran then turned the gun on himself.
Bob Orsi, his 44-year-old wife and one of their children died, according to AL.com.
The two other triplets, who police say "sustained multiple gunshot wounds," managed to escape the house as their father continued to pour gasoline. They are in stable condition and receiving treatment at a nearby hospital, the Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook.
Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin hailed their survival as a miracle.
"By the grace of God, these other two children were able to escape the house while he was spewing a flammable liquid which we believe was gasoline throughout the house," he told AL.com. "They were able to get up and scamper out of the house."
The shots rang out at 5 p.m. Saturday, police say, and the house was in flames when officers showed up. Charlene Orsi was found dead under a carport in front of the house, while the 12-year-old victim was found dead inside a bedroom.
The oldest sibling ran away unharmed to a neighbor. Police found Bob Orsi's body inside the house "once the fire was contained."
A GoFundMe page was created to help support the surviving family members. It said the money "will be given to Charlene’s parents, Veronica and Al Aurelio, who will make sure (the) girls have what (they) need to rebuild and heal from this horrible tragedy."
"At this time," the page reads, "these survivors are suffering the loss of a mother, sister, and father."
Bob and Charlene Orsi married in 1994, according to court documents obtained by WSFA, and the man pushed back against his wife's divorce petition on July 2. In a document filed in court, he denied they could “no longer live together as husband and wife" because of "incompatibility of temperament."
Franklin told AL.com that the murder-suicide comes as a shock.
"Who would've thought a retired military fellow would try to kill his triplets and kill his wife," he said, "and then take his own life?"
This story was originally published July 10, 2018 at 9:59 AM with the headline "His wife wanted a divorce — so he shot her and their 12-year-old triplets, police say."