CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Yellow police tape surrounded the scene of Thursday's murder-suicide at a Chesapeake apartment, serving as a visual reminder of the traumatic incident.
On Friday, police identified the three children killed as a 14-year-old and two five-year-old twins.
Watch: Mother kills her three kids, self in Chesapeake, family says
"Sometimes, when you're in the moment, you don't realize how those calls for service are affecting you," Newport News Police Department Capt. J.P. Smith said.
Smith is a co-founder of the department’s Critical Incident Stress Management Team, created to help officers after traumatic incidents.
“Our team has been in existence for a little over 10 years, and we have saved the lives of officers," Smith said. "If an officer is involved in a critical incident, then we have fellow officers—most of whom have been in similar situations—and they want to help. They will go out and try to work with these officers to get them back to their normal as fast as they can."
Watch: Chesapeake murder-suicide tragedy puts mental health in the spotlight
Police officers aren’t the only ones impacted. Smith said a traumatic incident can affect every first responder, not just while they’re on the job.
“There’s no doubt that it’s going to pour over into your family life. It’s so important to have a good support system at home or in the community," Smith explained.
In October 2024, News 3’s Blaine Stewart spoke with Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew about dealing with trauma as a first responder.
Watch: New office aims to help Virginia first responders deal with mental health issues
At the time, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin had signed an executive order creating the Office of First Responder Wellness.
“We can go to work in order to support them to be the best that they can be," Gov. Youngkin said.
The office offers resources, including training, and provides grant money to localities to help first responders manage trauma.
Watch: Newport News assistant fire chief opens up about firefighters' mental health struggles
Eric Gowin is the office's co-chief coordinating officer and tells News 3 that the number of people receiving training is increasing.
“I believe that we are saving the lives of first responders," Gowin said.
He believes a big reason for the office's success is its website.
Watch: 3-year-old boy killed in accidental shooting, Newport News Police say
"To date, over 9,000 people have actually visited that website and taken advantage of the resources that are on there," said Gowin.
He also noted a PSA the office put out generated 6.8 million impressions.
"The office is unique because the approach that we're taking is sometimes you see it's only law enforcement wellness. Now, it's covering all first responder wellness," Gowin explained.
Watch: Studies show alarming increase in PTSD among first responders
Statistics from the FBI show law enforcement suicides have been decreasing nationally from 50 in 2022 to 39 in 2024.
“If there’s any officers or first responders that are out there that are listening, that are having a hard time — having a bad day, a bad week, a bad month, bad year, whatever it is — and they need assistance to please reach out to someone, anyone, and get the help that they may need," said Smith.
As the investigation into the murder-suicide in Chesapeake continues, News 3 will bring you updates if and when they become available.
