Funeral is Sunday for family killed in murder-suicide in Lake Minnetonka home

Hundreds of people are expected to attend the funeral Sunday for a Twin Cities family of five killed in a murder-suicide last week.

Police found the bodies of Brian Scott Short, 45, his wife, Karen, 48, and their three teenage children in their Lake Minnetonka home Sept. 10. The deaths have shocked the community, co-workers, family, friends and classmates at Minnetonka High School, where 17-year-old Cole, 15-year-old Madison and 14-year-old Brooklyn Short were all enrolled.

The funeral will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday at Eden Prairie's Grace Church, which can hold more than 4,000 people. A memorial fund also has been set up; donations can be sent to Provincial Bank, P.O. Box 459, Lakeville, MN 55044.

Meanwhile, investigators are still working on the case. Police have confirmed that Brian Short died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound, while his wife and children died of shotgun wounds to the head. They were shot while sleeping in their bedrooms of the family's Greenwood home. Police haven't addressed the father's motive for the crime.

In the obituary, family members said that Karen Short loved to cook and entertain guests and that she had an infectious smile and a gregarious personality. Brian Short, the family wrote, loved diving and traveling and had devoted his life to helping nurses through AllNurses.com, which he founded. Cole was a senior who loved fishing and gaming. Madison, a sophomore who would have turned 16 this week, was a voracious reader who loved theater and performing. The youngest, Brooklyn, was a freshman, an honor student, a soccer player and a gymnast, the obituary said.

At Minnetonka High School, students and teachers are honoring the teens this week with cards and posters that will be taken to the funeral, a spokeswoman said. Counselors are still on hand to help grieving students and staff members.

Kelly Smith • 612-673-4141