Man allegedly kills himself, family, over paranoia about Obama re-election

A Virginia man who killed himself, his wife and his two children allegedly sent increasingly paranoid notes to family and friends, detailing his concerns that President Obama would be re-elected.

According to the London Daily Mail:

Albert Peterson shot dead his wife and two sons hours after going to church because he dreaded the thought of Obama winning the election, a family friend has revealed.

A confidante of the family for the past 25 years has spoken to MailOnline about the strength and grace of the Peterson family, as well as the torment that plagued Albert which drove him to shoot dead his wife Kathleen and his two sons Christopher and Mathew at their suburban home in DC on Sunday. A history of mental illness, the loss of a dear uncle, and a growing fear of Obama winning a second term in the White House took its toll on the mind of Mr Peterson, a wealthy defense contractor, the friend said.

‘He just did not want his kids inheriting this mess,’ Maggie L, who did not wish to reveal her last name, told MailOnline. ‘Sometimes we thought he might take his own life when he was so depressed. We never thought he would take Kathie’s.’

Peterson, 57, reportedly had an uncle who committed suicide recently, and suffered from mental illness. Friends said he told them he was under tremendous pressure at his job with a defense contractor, and he feared that sharp reductions in defense spending would cost him his job. Defense cuts are looming at the end of the year, since Democrats and Republicans in Congress failed to make a deal on spending and deficit reduction.

The bodies of Peterson, his wife Kathleen, 52, and sons, 16-year-old Matthew and 13-year-old Christopher were discovered Tuesday inside their Herndon, Virgina home. Petersons co-workers reportedly told police that they grew worried when Peterson began coming to work late. His wife also worked in the defense industry. The Petersons were also active churchgoers.

Read more of the story at the London Daily Mail.