Andover couple fatally shot by adult son, who then kills himself

A man shot and killed his parents and then took his own life in the family's Andover home, authorities said Thursday.

A man who lives near the home in the 900 block of 139th Avenue N. identified the three killed in recent days as Karen Regnier, 69, and Brian Regnier, 58, and their 27-year-old son, Aaron. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office confirmed the identities later Thursday.

Sheriff's deputies were dispatched at 7 p.m. Wednesday to the home on a welfare check requested by a "concerned neighbor who had not seen the occupants of the home for a couple of days," the Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

"It appears probable that an adult male shot his parents and then committed suicide in the home," read a statement issued Thursday morning from the Sheriff's Office. "There is one deceased female and two deceased males, all were occupants of the house."

A 22-caliber semiautomatic handgun and casings were recovered at the scene, the Sheriff's Office said.

The son was convicted in 2012 on two felony counts of possessing child pornography on computers in the home. He was given a stayed one-year jail sentence and placed on probation for two years.

Neighbor Dan Lucas said the parents "were awesome people. We used to do bonfires in the neighborhood when all our kids were younger."

Lucas said he last saw Brian Regnier late last week out in the yard. Lucas said his son saw Aaron Regnier over the holiday weekend "and said he smiled." Karen Regnier spent a lot of time in back of the house working on a garden, Lucas added.

People in the neighborhood became concerned when one neighbor "noticed the garbage didn't go out on Monday" from the Regnier home, Lucas said. Then no lights were seen on inside the house all of Tuesday.

Paul Walsh 612-673-4482