Girl, 8, among those found dead in double murder
An eight-year-old girl was also found dead among three members of the same family, in what police called a double murder and sudden death.
A murder investigation was launched after the murder of three people: a 41-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman and a girl. Found at a house on Cullybackey Road At Ballymena on Monday at 09:00 BST.
Supt William Calderwood told how emergency services were greeted with a “shocking scene”.
It turned out that the family was originally from Poland, but the child was born in Northern Ireland. Polish Honorary Consul to Northern Ireland Jerome Mullen said he had never experienced such a tragedy during his 18-year tenure.
Police said the cause of the deaths has not been officially determined and they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.
At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Supt Calderwood said they were keeping an open mind but were working on a “strong hypothesis” of “double murder followed by sudden death”.
He expressed his deepest condolences to family members, friends and loved ones for their “unimaginable loss.”
He reiterated that there was no ongoing risk to the public but that police presence in the area would increase.
He said the wider community remained in shock and support was being provided to first responders.
He appealed for anyone with information, including CCTV and dashcam footage, to come forward.
He added that police were in contact with the Polish consulate.
Mullen said the family had been settled in Northern Ireland for some time and were “absolutely shattered and devastated” by the news.
“The Polish community has been living in Northern Ireland and has been pretty settled for 20 years,” he said.
“This is the worst tragedy I have encountered in my experience.”
He added that Poland has a full diplomatic presence in Northern Ireland and the consulate is providing assistance and support to the family circle.
At the scene on Tuesday morning, BBC News NI’s Kelly Bonner said the area was under pressure.
“The police cordon is still in place on Cullybackey Road,” he said.
“This is a pretty quiet area, a pretty rural road.
“Neighbors and people who live in this community are still trying to come to terms with what happened.”
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The area’s MP, Jim Allister of the Traditional Unionist Voice, said it was “an area where people have lived as families for many years”.
“So you can imagine the shock of having something so foreign happen right in the middle of it,” he said.
“One of the things that’s easy to overlook about this is that we have to think hard about the first responders who are having to confront this terrible situation and the coroners and police officers who are trying to deal with it.
“This can’t be easy, sometimes we take their jobs for granted.
“I would also politely suggest to the police that in this case they need to give as much information as they can to counter the rampant speculation, otherwise the speculation will disappear on its own.”
Coroners were still at the scene Tuesday [PA Media]
Mid and East Antrim Mayor Thomas Gordon said he was deeply saddened by the tragic deaths.
“I offer my sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives,” he said.
“As investigations continue, I would appeal to anyone with information to contact police.”
Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows said the entire town was devastated and police should be given “patience and time” to complete the investigation.
“The more information the police can get, the better because there is a community that is in shock,” he said.
Sinn Féin councilor Philip McGuigan said speculation about what happened was not helpful.
He said anyone who can help police should come forward.
Alliance Party councilor Sian Mulholland also urged anyone with information to contact police and said her thoughts were with everyone affected.
Additional reporting by Niall Glynn and Adam Mandeville
