PERRY HALL, Md. (WJZ)–Heartbreak in a Baltimore County community tonight after a father kills his two young boys and then takes his own life.

Derek Valcourt has more on what family and friends say drove this father over the edge.

Just after midnight Friday, gunshots ring out from a home on the 8900 block of Yvonne Avenue.

Police say the suspects girlfriend Shantal Brown-Winn was home at the time and called for help after finding three bodies on the second level of the residence.

Brown-Winn’s world turned upside down after her long-time boyfriend 47-year-old Julian Roary shot and killed his two young sons–12-year-old Julian Roary Jr. and 10-year-old Ian Roary– who she considered her step-children and then took his own life.

“I got up like where is everybody and I don’t want to go through everything else, but ultimately I had to bust in the door,” Shantal says.

She says Julian loved his children and was devastated after losing his job last week.

“We said we loved each other every night but last night it was a little different , maybe I should have honed in on it, I didn’t think anything, I love you too . Thought he was coming back out here to continue job searching but that didn’t happen,” Shantal said.

Shocked neighbors say Roary was an excellent father to his son–even coaching several of their sports teams.

One neighbor tells WJZ they were worried about him because he just didn’t seem like himself.

Everyone in this Perry Hall community still trying to make comprehend why he would kill the kids he loved so much.

“I think that he felt without burdening me and others that he was just doing a good job and he wanted them with him, I hate to say that but that’s how it’s turned out,” Shantal said.

Both the young boys were recent students at Pine Grove Elementary School.

They did not live with their mother, police say she has been notified.

Authorities are awaiting autopsy results to confirm that this was in fact a murder-suicide.