Benjamin Ryan Lupoe, 2

Benjamin Lupoe, a 2-year-old black boy, was shot and killed Tuesday, Jan. 27, at his family's home in the 1000 block of McFarland Avenue in Wilmington, according to the Los Angeles County coroner.

Authorities said Benjamin's father, Ervin Antonio Lupoe, killed his five children and his wife, Ana, before taking his own life. 

The following is an excerpt of Times coverage of the killings: 

A man who had recently been laid off from a local hospital opened fire at his Wilmington home today, killing his five young children as well as his wife, police said.

The gunman then took his own life, according to authorities. Police said the children were an 8-year-old girl, twin 5-year-old girls and twin 2-year-old boys. LAPD Deputy Chief Kenneth Garner said police found notes inside the house in which the gunman referred to "work-related issues."

"In these tough economic times, there are other options," Garner said. "In my 32 years, I've never seen anything like this."

Police discovered the bodies after a bizarre series of events this morning that included, authorities said, the gunman faxing a letter to KABC Channel 7 shortly before killing himself. Someone, possibly the gunman, called the LAPD about 8:20 a.m. saying, "I just returned home, and my whole family has been shot," according to Garner.

Police entered the house and smelled gunshot residue. The bodies were found around the house. Each person apparently had been shot with a revolver.

Garner said the bodies of the three girls were found in an upstairs bedroom and the bodies of the boys and the mother were found in a back bedroom. Notes found at the house suggested the case was a murder-suicide, he said.