Mother, daughter dead after apparent murder-suicide at San Francisco nursing home

Authorities were searching for a motive Tuesday after a licensed practical nurse at a long-term care facility in Pennsylvania apparently shot and killed a resident and then turned the gun on herself.

The incident took place at Abington Manor, a 120-bed Genesis HealthCare facility in the town of Clarks Summit. Aimee Larkin, a 42-year-old licensed practical nurse who had worked at Abington Manor since 2011, is believed to have killed 79-year-old resident Howard Kinney, according to local reports.

The shooting took place at about 5:30 p.m. Monday while Larkin was working a shift, police say. They identified the weapon as a semiautomatic gun, and said that Larkin apparently shot Kinney in the chest and then shot herself in the head. No suicide note was found and investigators did not immediately have an idea about Larkin’s motives, South Abington Township Police Chief Robert Gerrity told reporters.

Larkin’s coworkers said they did not have reason to believe Larkin was disgruntled or that she and Kinney had a contentious relationship, according to the Scranton Times Tribune.

The incident was “shocking” and “isolated,” Abington Manor spokeswoman Jeanne Moore said in an emailed statement.  She noted that this is the first incidence of violence since the facility opened 28 years ago.

The safety and wellbeing of residents and staff are of paramount concern, and grief counselors were on site for every shift on Tuesday, Moore added.