A Minnesota father and his three sons were found dead inside a burning home in Grand Meadow, police said, before authorities revealed the deaths were a murder-suicide rather than a result of the fire. Levi Christenson, 38, and his sons Oliver and Felix, 14-year-old twins, and Calvin Christenson, 7, were discovered inside the property when first responders arrived Sunday morning and found smoke billowing from it.

Authorities said the manner of Calvin, Oliver and Felix's deaths has been ruled a homicide, while Levi Christenson died by suicide. In a release Wednesday, cops said Levi fatally shot his sons before turning the weapon on himself, according to Mower County Sheriff Steven Sandvik. The sheriff later told the Minnesota Star Tribune that no suspects are being sought. The cause of the blaze is still being investigated.S2

The sheriff's office said the tragedy has touched all parts of the close-knit community and asked that the privacy of everyone involved be respected as residents come together to help one another cope. An online fundraiser has been created to support the boys' mother, Lauren Hosp, whose sons were described by the fundraiser's creator, DeeDee Payne, as her entire world.S2

Felix, a freshman, and Oliver were both running backs for the Grand Meadow High School football team, with Oliver wearing number 24 and last playing in a 58-18 win against Bethlehem Academy on Oct. 21. A 2017 social media post from Hosp, in which she celebrated the twins winning student of the month for kindness in separate classes, has resurfaced since the tragedy.S2