A Pennsylvania man killed his wife Tuesday before turning the gun on himself — leaving their five children orphaned just five days before Christmas.
Blase, 39, and Brooke Raia, 34, were arguing around 7 p.m. in the basement of their Greenwood home when Blase allegedly fired the handgun on his wife, Logan Township Police Chief Dave Hoover told the Altoona Mirror.
He shot her in the head, a fate cops say he would shortly after inflict upon himself.
The four younger children were home at the time of the apparent murder-suicide.
The eldest returned home from work just half an hour after the tragedy to find his parent’s bodies, according to Hoover.
The kids — daughter, Blakely and sons Blase Jr., Brennan, Kamden and Easton, according to Blase’s obituary — were interviewed and released into the custody of other family members.
Kamden and Easton were Brooke’s children from a previous relationship, according to her obituary.
Police have not yet determined a motive and are working to rule out the possibility that others may have been involved.
The news was shocking to the community, who remembered Blase Raia as a friendly man who worked as a machinist at the Juniata Locomotive Shop of Norfolk Southern.
“He was a nice guy, a good worker,” Jim Patterson, a retired employee, told the outlet. “He seemed well-liked by his fellow workers.”
Candy Holliday, a family friend and neighbor of Blase’s who is fundraising for his funeral, said he “loved his children more than anything in this world.”
Brooke Raia worked at a local chiropractic office, according to Hoover. Her obituary said she also worked at the Amazon warehouse in Altoona.
The couple, who married in 2022, according to Blase’s obituary, were heavily involved in racing — Brooke Raia’s father was a well-known motorcycle racer and became an announcer at a regional speedway while Blase raced dragsters as a hobby.
The racing community has since rallied around the orphaned children, raising more than $56,000 for the kids.
“While I’m sure Christmas is the last thing on their minds they deserve our support, they need to know that both the racing community & their family stands behind them,” fundraiser Donny Algieri said.