A small New Hampshire town is grieving after police confirmed that a mother of three carried out a tragic murder-suicide just days after being accused of embezzlement at work.

Authorities say 34-year-old Emily Long of Madbury fatally shot her husband, Ryan, 48, and two of their children—Parker, 6, and Ryan, 8—before taking her own life in the early morning hours of August 18. A third child was found unharmed inside the home.

Emily’s husband was battling terminal brain cancer, a struggle she often shared about on her now-private TikTok account. In one video, she admitted, “It’s just been a really hard last two weeks for everyone in so many different ways, and that’s hard because I’m trying to keep everyone together and I’m barely holding it together myself. I just want to erupt and run away, and everyone’s struggling for different reasons.”

Just two days before the tragedy, she posted that she was trying to climb out of depression. “I’m making strides to get better. All I want to do is hide under a blanket with my kids, but that isn’t healthy for them, and it’s not healthy for me. Today, I decided I need to make a conscious effort to shift my mindset. I’m getting out of this depression whether I want to or not.”

The tragedy unfolded about a week after Emily’s employer, Wing-itz Restaurant Group, reported her to police for allegedly stealing more than $660,000 from the company. Derek Fisher, the co-founder of the restaurant chain, told KSWO that he had noticed troubling discrepancies.

“We noticed that there was a lot of handwritten checks in her name, personally, that were being deposited into her bank account,” Fisher explained. He admitted he delayed going to authorities because he knew about Ryan Long’s cancer diagnosis. “Given her circumstances with her husband, I was trying to be considerate and patient,” he said. “I felt like I had no other option but to go to law enforcement.”

When Fisher heard the news of the murder-suicide, he was overcome with grief. “I was completely devastated and heartbroken. I cared deeply for her and her family. You know, I was around all of her children as they grew up,” he said.

This heartbreaking story is a reminder of the hidden battles people face. Emily’s social media showed a woman worn down by grief, fear, and depression, while her employer’s account revealed serious financial wrongdoing that weighed heavily on everyone involved.

For Christians, the story calls us to compassion and prayer. We can pray for healing for the surviving child, comfort for extended family and friends, and wisdom for those carrying heavy burdens. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”