Man throws 2 kids, self off 15th floor of hotel

[Luba]

from MSNBC:

Family vacation ends tragically for children, ages 4 and 8; mom unhurt

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - A man killed his two young children Saturday by throwing them off the 15th floor of a landmark South Beach hotel and then jumped to his own death, police said.

Edward Van Dyk, 43, tossed his two sons to their deaths around 8:20 a.m., Miami Beach Police spokesman said. Authorities did not release the names of the boys.

The mother of the children, Qinuo Van Dyk, 40, told police she and her husband had been having marital problems for the past six months. When she walked into the room she saw her husband going off the balcony.

The woman heard one of her children screaming from an adjacent room in the Loews Hotel were the Illinois family was staying. She looked over the railing and saw her husband and her two children lying on a mezzanine roof two floors above the ground.

Despite the marital problems, the family had been celebrating the couple's 10th wedding anniversary.

"It's a terrible tragedy. It's unfortunate that this gentleman was so selfish and in an effort to get back at his wife he took the two most loved people in the world away from her," the spokesman said. The woman did not know why her husband, a radiologist at Alton Memorial Hospital, killed the children and himself. The spokesman added "There was no indication that he would be capable of doing something as horrible as this."

People in neighbouring rooms said they didn't hear any noises.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How can anyone do such an atrocity to their children?? I'm just sick...

[Vautrin]

It happens. Sadly We have had cases of alienated dads setting their marital homes ablaze, killing their wives and children in the process. Often committing suicide afterward.

I wonder why he took this drastic measure. And of course the role of the marital problems (& divorce laws) must be investigated. The suicide is hardly a coincidence in such situations, it seems.

Keeping up appearances might also play a role. Appear happy, because it is the way people are supposed to act.

[Merika]

There are many types of crimes that can be addressed by stronger laws and law enforcement...unfortunately this just isn't one of them. Crimes of passion are hard to control and even harder to ever really get to the bottom of as to what all took place. I'm sure there is a bigger story in the background that we will never know about.

Drugs and alcohol can also be a big factor.