Pittsburgh father ruled to have killed children and himself in garage fall

The death of a father and his two young children in a Pittsburgh suburb has been formally classified as a suicide and two homicides by county officials. The findings confirm a grim sequence of events that unfolded at a commercial parking structure on Tuesday afternoon.

Patrick Lynch, 42, was found dead near the base of a five story garage in Mt. Lebanon at approximately 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. He was discovered alongside his son James, age 8, and his daughter Caroline, age 6. Authorities described the incident as not an accident. Lynch had previously been identified as an employee of an Ivy League institution.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office announced the cause of death for Lynch on Thursday. He died from multiple blunt force injuries. This determination came one day after the same office ruled that the children also died from blunt force injuries. The office designated the children’s deaths as homicides, while Lynch’s death was ruled a suicide.

First responders arrived at the scene to find the three victims near the foot of the structure. James was pronounced dead at 4:35 p.m. on Tuesday. His sister Caroline was pronounced dead one minute later. The timing places their deaths immediately after they were found.

The family resided in the affluent neighborhood of Mt. Lebanon. The specific details regarding the father's actions prior to the fall were described by authorities as chilling. The medical examiner's report provides the final legal classification for the three deaths, ending the initial period of investigation into the cause of the incident.