INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A retired police officer is suspected of killing a woman and shooting two teens, and then fatally firing at himself Monday night in a south side home.

Police found two teen girls inside the house. Both were injured from at least one bullet wound.

In the backyard of a home in the 600 block of Watersonway Circle, police found the two dead adults.

Nancy Snoody who lives a few houses away, told I-Team on Tuesday, “I don’t understand how someone can shoot their children. Evidently, it happens. Sending prayers out for their healing and for their family.”

Nancy and her husband, Ed, couldn’t believe it happened in their neighborhood to this family.

Police say the gunman is former IMPD reserve officer Thomas Nolan. He worked for the department for 21 years and retired just three months ago.

They say he killed 41-year-old Ashley Nolan.

Ed described Nolan as nice. “He’d would come by sometime, and I’m doing something, and he’d say, ‘Can I give you a hand?’”

Police initially went to the home for a domestic disturbance. They heard gun shots as they pulled up.

“I thought it was firecrackers left over from Fourth of July,” said neighbor Trevin Jones. “At first, they were like three, like ‘pow, pow, pow’ right in a row. That’s why I thought it was firecrackers, three back-to-back, maybe two more distant.”

Jones said the police broke the glass on the door to get inside the house. He said the entire street was filled with police. He’s still shaken from the event.

“Having something like that happen right next door to you is still absolutely craven. No matter what happens in the world, it’s absolutely emotionally devastating.”

Jones says neighbors were going about their usual activities on Tuesday to cope with Monday night’s devastation.

One of the teen girls was in critical condition; the other was stable.

Neighbors says they want to focus on supporting the teen girls, who have been seen biking around all this summer but now have to live with this tragedy.

Mental health resources

• Be Well Indiana
• Indiana Suicide Prevention
• Indiana Department of Child Services’ Children’s Mental Health Initiative
• National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 or 800-273-8255
• More resources