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Crime, Law and Justice
Molly Castle Work
Grand Meadow, Minn.

4 found dead in Grand Meadow house fire Sunday died in murder-suicide, Sheriff says

A photo of a mother and her three sons sitting on bales of hay.
Lauren Hosp (center right) is seen with her three sons, Oliver, Felix and Calvin. The boys were killed in an apparent murder-suicide Sunday in Grand Meadow, Minn.
Courtesy of DeeDee Payne via GoFundMe

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Police and firefighters found a 38-year old man and his three sons dead after responding to a house fire in the small southern Minnesota town of Grand Meadow Sunday. The Mower County Sheriff now says all four died from gunshot wounds and the father killed his 14-year old twins and his 7-year old boy, before shooting and killing himself.

A 38-year old man shot and killed his three sons before shooting and killing himself Sunday in a home in a small, southern Minnesota town, according to the Mower County Sheriff’s office. The bodies of all four were discovered by emergency personnel responding to a house fire late Sunday morning.

Mower County Sheriff Steve Sandvik identified the dead as Levi David Christenson, 38, his 14-year-old twin sons, Oliver James Christenson and Felix Richard Christenson, and 7-year-old Calvin Jones Christenson, all of Grand Meadow, about 20 miles south of Rochester.

In a news release, Sandvik said that investigators determined the manner and cause of death of the three boys to be homicide by gunshot wound; the manner and cause of death of the father has been determined to be suicide by gunshot wound.

The Mower County Sheriff's Office said its deputies and the Grand Meadow Fire Department responded to a call of a house fire at the home on First Street Northeast at about 11:30 a.m. Sunday and found smoke coming from the residence. The bodies were discovered after firefighters brought the fire under control.

The investigation into the deaths and the house fire are still ongoing, according to the sheriff’s statement.

“We are confident there is no danger to the community following this incident but need to complete the investigative process before definitive answers can be provided to many of the questions that remain unanswered,” wrote Mower County Sheriff Steve Sandvik in Wednesday’s press release.

A fundraiser for the boys’ mother, who was divorced from Christenson, has raised nearly $58,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Due to the complex nature of the ongoing investigation, Sandvik said no further public information updates will be provided at this time.

“The nature of this tragic and inconceivable tragedy occurring in the close-knit small community has touched all parts of the community,” Sandvik added. “We continue to ask that the privacy of all involved is respected during this extremely difficult time as the community comes together to help each other come to grips with this tragedy and work toward healing.”

The Minnesota State Fire Marshal and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are assisting local agencies in the investigation.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. Call or text 988 to get connected with the trained counselors who can help. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7.

If you or someone you know is in a dangerous situation with a partner, there is a 24-hour statewide domestic and sexual violence hotline. You can call Minnesota Day One at (866) 223-1111 or text (612) 399-9995.