Murder-suicide in Columbus: FCCS searches for relatives of 3 children

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Franklin County Children Services is asking the public for help in identifying any relatives of three young Columbus children whose parents were killed in a suspected murder-suicide Tuesday night.

FCCS said they are seeking information to identify any relatives or close friends of the family of Sowmya Balasubramanian and Kathavarayan Balasubramanian, who were found dead in an apartment complex on Lauffer Ravines Drive.

The couple's three young children, ages 4, 6 and 8, are currently in the care of FCCS.

FCCS is looking for family members such as grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins, or people who were close to the family such as teachers, coaches or neighbors.

The agency said it hopes to find safe temporary placement for the children. The family had no history with FCCS before Tuesday's incident.

Anyone who knows a relative or family friend can call the Franklin County Child Abuse Hotline, which is open 24 hours a day, 614-229-7000.

Officers from the Columbus Division of Police were called to the apartment complex around 5:30 p.m. to check on the residents' well-being. Sergeant Joseph Albert said someone asked about the residents' health after noticing that the neighbors' two young children had been waiting outside their apartment for several hours. The youngest child was left at a school, police said.

When the officers arrived, they gained access to the apartment with the help of the caretakers and found both parents dead, apparently with gunshot wounds. A gun was found in the apartment, Albert said.