On May 3, 2018, 10-year-old Aidan Micheal Talmage and his siblings were found dead in their Grand Forks, North Dakota home after a welfare check when the children did not show up for school. Authorities recovered a firearm at the scene and the Grand Forks Police Department’s preliminary conclusion described the deaths as a murder-suicide, stating that the children and their mother, 35-year-old Astra Volk, had suffered fatal gunshot wounds and that no other suspect was being sought.

Aidan was remembered by family and friends as a bright, energetic boy who enjoyed video games, sports and playing catch, and who loved animals, especially chickens. Reports said the family faced serious financial pressures, including mounting medical bills, a circumstance that was mentioned as a possible factor in the incident. The investigation remained open but the initial finding attributed the killings to the mother before she died by the same means.

If anyone knew Aidan or his family, or has information about the circumstances leading up to May 3, 2018, please come forward.