In a quiet mobile home park in Lake Station, Indiana, a devastating scene unfolded that left a community in mourning. Six-year-old Ava Payne, a young girl described as full of joy and happiness, was found dead on Friday, February 21, 2025, in what authorities have determined to be a murder-suicide. The tragedy also claimed the lives of her mother, 27-year-old Briana Payne, and her two sisters, 7-year-old Aurorah and 4-year-old Alayna.
Police were called to the family's home in the 6700
block of 9th Avenue for a welfare check on that Friday afternoon. After gaining entry to the residence, they discovered the bodies of all five family members. The Lake County Coroner's Office later confirmed that Ava, her mother, and her sisters all died from gunshot wounds, and their deaths were ruled as homicides. The girls' father, 31-year-old Robert Payne, was also found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and his death was ruled a suicide.
Neighbors were left in shock by the incident, recalling the sounds of arguing from the home in the days leading up to the discovery. One neighbor noted it was unusual that the family's cars had not moved, as they typically went out every day. Ava and her older sister Aurorah were students at Virgil Bailey Elementary School, where grief counselors were made available to support the school community.
Family members revealed that Briana Payne had recently told her husband, Robert, that she was planning to file for divorce. Friends and family remembered Briana as a devoted mother who was funny and would go out of her way to make people laugh. The community has since come together to support the family, with a GoFundMe page set up to help with funeral costs for Briana and her three young daughters. The investigation into the murder-suicide is being handled by the Lake Station Police and Indiana State Police, though with the perpetrator deceased, the case has no surviving suspect.
