A mother shot dead her two children before turning the gun on herself while her husband was away. Monika Rubacha, 44, killed their 14-year-old son Josh and 11-year-old daughter in their bedrooms before shooting herself.

The shootings took place while Monika’s British husband, Richard James, was away on a business trip. The 45-year-old, who is the brother of Sky Sports darts presenter Holly James, was in South America at the time and called police after being unable to get hold of his wife for 36 hours. Officers eventually arrived at their £1.4 million home in Florida where they found a “violent crime scene” on Thursday, February 26.

The officers forced entry into the gated community home at Lakewood Ranch, Manatee County, before discovering the mother and children had suffered “traumatic injuries”. Mr James was told of the tragic incident after landing back in the US.

According to local police, there had been “some planning involved” in the shootings. They believe Monika “knew what she was doing”, but are continuing to investigate exactly what happened.

Sheriff Rick Wells said: “We don’t understand what’s going on with people and their mental health and what’s going on behind closed doors.

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“A case so horrific like this is something maybe no one could have ever predicted. I don’t know if there were signs that maybe family members didn’t pick up. We don’t know.”

Meanwhile, the Lake Club homeowners’ association at Lakewood Ranch said its “hearts are with the family and all those affected”. The area is known for being an affluent gated community.

A picture shared by Mr James’ sister, Polly, who is also a host on Radio X, shows Monika smiling with her family on a day by the sea. She is also seen hugging one of her children.