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Brigham City • Loud bangs and gushing water led residents of a special-living center to find a family dead inside their apartment Friday.
It appears James Hall, 58, killed his wife, 57-year-old Kathy Hall, and their son, 35-year-old Erik Hall, according to Brigham City police.
Lt. Mike Nelsen said James Hall left behind a signed note describing money problems. Nelsen did not elaborate on the note's contents and said there's no indication whether Kathy and Erik Hall were willing participants in their deaths.
"I don't think anyone knew it was coming," Nelsen said.
The shootings occurred at Discovery Place, 360 W. 900 North. It is described as a center where people with physical or mental disabilities can live on their own but receive occasional help with things like shopping or doctor visits. The facility has been open less than a year, and Nelsen said the Halls moved there in December after having lived in Ogden.
At 11:55 a.m., residents at Discovery Place reported hearing loud bangs. At the same time, water began seeping from the Halls' ground-floor apartment, Nelsen said.
Nelsen said residents saw "water and blood coming from underneath the door." The water was the result of a bullet striking a pipe in the ceiling. Nelsen said it does not appear that bullet was a ricochet, but it's unknown why James Hall would have fired in that direction.
Nelsen said Erik Hall was found in a bed and his parents were found in a living room. James Hall fired a .30-.30 rifle in the killings, Nelsen said, and it's not known whether he killed his son or wife first.
Stephanie Weeks, an employee at Discovery Place, said the health of Erik and Kathy Hall had been deteriorating.
Erik Hall had used a wheelchair since suffering a traumatic brain injury while skiing several years ago, shortly before he was scheduled to leave on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she said.
No one at the facility saw any signs of trouble, she said.
"We all were very tight. We built a very close community," said Weeks, who described the three as a "good LDS family.
Lisa Morley, a counselor in Brigham City's LDS 18th Ward, said Kathy Hall also had health problems, but the family did not seem troubled.
"But you don't know what pressures they were under," she said.
When Morley last visited the Halls a month ago, it seemed their apartment was the social center as neighbors were returning borrowed movies.
James Hall, Morley said, offered to help Morley connect with other newcomers to the building.