Police: Retired officer kills his 2 sleeping kids, then himself

WALLKILL, N.Y. — Authorities say a retired police officer shot his two children to death as they slept in their New York home before he turned the gun on himself.

State police say troopers and Wallkill police officers responded Thursday evening to a 911 call reporting an unresponsive man at a home in the Orange County town of Wallkill, about 60 miles northwest of New York City.

They say John Casullo used a .45-caliber pistol to kill 8-year-old James and 12-year-old Kathleen in their bedrooms. Troopers say he then fatally shot himself in the head.

Police say the children's mother discovered the bodies after arriving home from work.

Officials in the nearby town of Newburgh say the 48-year-old Casullo retired from the police force on disability. Records show he retired in 2008.

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