"It certainly appears that all the injuries were blunt force trauma to the upper bodies and to the heads of the victims.'' Police were speaking to members of the Chinese community and relatives of the victims, including the parents' daughter who is returning to Sydney. He described the murders as "a terrible tragedy''. "It is extraordinary, it's extremely violent and certainly unusual in my experience to have this many people murdered on one occasion.'' However, he does not believe there is any reason for concern among neighbours of the victims.

"We're open minded but we believe it was quite targeted and whilst I certainly understand the concern amongst the local community I don't believe there's any reason for undue concern at this point in time.''

Initially, when police found the bodies of the two boys and two women at the home in Boundary Road, North Epping, they thought the victims had been killed in a domestic incident. But when Mr Lin's body was found in a bedroom with serious head injuries, police realised they were dealing with the murders of five people. The bodies of two of the deceased were found by a female relative who arrived at the home shortly after 9.50am to inquire why the family had not opened their Rawson Street newsagency at Epping Shopping Centre. A police chaplain was at the scene yesterday to comfort the struggling officers. "Any incident like this is upsetting for any police officer," he said. A police chaplain was at the scene yesterday to comfort the struggling officers. "Any incident like this is upsetting for any police officer," he said. On May 27, Mr Lin had been a witness to an armed robbery on a Chubb armoured van outside the Epping Club, across the road from his newsagency.

However, police are uncertain whether the two crimes are linked and are investigating whether the family were the victims of an extortion demand or a violent home robbery. Police stood guard at the family's newsagency yesterday, where a sign was posted on the front door simply saying "Closed due to family circumstance". Shopkeepers in the adjoining Rawson Street Arcade said they were stunned upon learning of the tragedy. Deli owner Rege Mousakhani could not understand why it had happened. "People were queueing up waiting to get their paper and nobody came to open the shop," he said.

"They seemed very happy. They've had the business at least five years. He had good money. It was a good business. I don't understand." Loading Mr Mousakhani said Mrs Lin's younger sister was employed at the newsagency and that his wife also worked with her husband. "He seemed happy but they never spoke much. They would come into my shop and buy sweets and food." with AAP

