A man found dead with his private school headteacher wife and seven-year-old daughter legally owned a gun that was discovered at the scene of the tragedy, police said. George Pattison, 39, had been in contact with Surrey Police just days before the killings about his gun licence in order to change his address after the family moved to the school site from Caterham.
He was found dead with his wife Emma Pattison, 45, and their daughter Lettie at their home in the grounds of Epsom College in Surrey on Sunday. The Times reported that Mrs Pattison had contacted a close relative with concerns about her husband in the hours before the killings, and when they arrived at the house they found all three members of the family dead.
On Tuesday Surrey Police confirmed that officers have launched a homicide investigation. Earlier, the BBC reported that it was believed that Mr Pattison shot his wife and daughter before killing himself. While a gun was found at the scene the force said causes of death will not be confirmed until post-mortem examinations are carried out later this week.
