Mani Savyon shot and killed his 9-year-old son before killing himself during a supervised child visit in the Manchester, New Hampshire YWCA.
The YWCA offers supervised child visitations on Sundays. A male counselor was present in the room when Sayvon, 54, pulled out a handgun and shot and killed his son Joshua Sayvon, and then himself. The counselor escaped unharmed.
Sayvon and Joshua’s mother shared custody of the child after they separated two years ago. According to Boston Globe Manchester police said that Sayvon has previously threatened to kill himself, his former wife, and their son.
Autopsies on both of the bodies will be performed Monday, and police are still investigating the shooting.
Savyon’s brother had recently passed away five weeks earlier in Israel, leaving Sayvon depressed after attending the funeral. His friend, Rabbi Levi Krinsy of Manchester, said he could tell Sayvon was upset but did not think he would go to such extreme measures.
"What would provoke him to take his life and his son's life? I don't think anyone can figure that out," Krinsky said, The Associated Press reports. "My heart goes out to the family."