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Family Of 4 Dead In Long Branch House Fire That May Be Murder-Suicide

LONG BRANCH, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A Jersey shore house fire that killed four family members does not appear to be accidental and could possibly be a murder-suicide, authorities said Wednesday.

First Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Marc LeMieux said firefighters found more than one origin of the fire inside the home on Joline Avenue in Long Branch.

"Based on what we see, this was not an accidental fire," he said. "We're looking at this as a potential intentional fire that was set."

4 Dead In Long Branch House Fire That May Be Murder-Suicide

The blaze started late Tuesday night and quickly consumed the house. Firefighters opened the door around midnight to a wall of smoke and flames.

"They tried to get upstairs to the second floor. The house was already fully involved," Public Safety Director Jason Roebuck said. "They couldn't make their way past the smoke and fire."

"I saw the fire at the door, so I called my dad, and we both ran out to see what was going on," neighbor Dylan Martinez said. "We tried to break the windows at the bottom."

The victims -- Lyndon Beharry, 35, Amanda Morris, 29, and their two sons, Brandon Beharry, 7, and Brian Beharry, 4 -- were all found together in a second-floor bedroom, authorities said.

But LeMieux said they showed signs of injuries unrelated to the fire when they were taken to a hospital, where they died. Sources said each person had gunshot wounds, CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported.

"We are not ruling out the potential that there was a homicide and then an ultimate suicide," LeMieux said.

Sources told CBS2's Christine Sloan they believe the father shot his girlfriend, their two children and then turned the gun on himself. Friends say Morris was threatening to leave him with the children.

Neighbor Brandon Medina said he heard what sounded like gunshots, then saw the flames.

"There was a lot of commotion at first. Sounded like banging," he said. "I thought people were fighting."

4 Dead In Long Branch House Fire That May Be Murder-Suicide

Lyndon Beharry, known as Shane, worked for the city's Public Works Department. His coworkers described him as a family man whose sons were his life.

Beharry's cousin told Sloan the couple loved each other and their children and that they had a big barbecue Sunday. But another neighbor said the couple was arguing on the porch the day before.

Those who knew them are stunned the entire family is now gone.

"It's tough," said friend Jose Alicea. "They were a good family."

"My heart just felt heavy," said Genea McFarlane. "It makes you sad when you hear kids (died). And it's just terrible."

Investigators have been interviewing neighbors and are awaiting autopsy results. They hope to release them Thursday.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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