'This isn't something that we prepare for': Community shaken after deaths of mom, 3 kids near Cornelius home

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Cornelius community is in mourning after disturbing new details have emerged in the death of a mom and her three kids found near their home on Tuesday.

Hong Phuong Le, 37, was found along with her 7-year-old son and two daughters, ages 2 and 5. The older two children were students at Cornelius Elementary School, the Forest Grove School District said.

On Wednesday, the district announced that all after-school activities were canceled as a result of the deaths.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Forest Grove School District said their students "are going through a lot," with efforts underway to return them to normal school routines when possible. The district said they were first informed of the "tragedy" after being contacted by the Washington County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday.

While the community grieves, investigators are still hard at work piecing together what happened. 

KOIN 6 News caught up with Deputy David Huey at the Washington County Sheriff's Office just 24 hours after the bodies were found near the home where neighbors are now dropping off flowers in remembrance of the family that once lived there.

While many details are not being released at this time, Deputy Huey said this case will impact everyone in the small communities of Forest Grove and Cornelius. 

"It really goes further than that. You know. It impacts all of those. It impacts the school district, the teachers, the families, the friends, all of those who have an interest in knowing these individuals," he said. "And it's going to hit the officers too. This isn't something that we prepare for. It's something we know is possible, but there's really no way to prepare for responding to a call like this."

Deputy Huey, who visibly choked back tears on Tuesday during the initial press conference about the incident, said there are peer and counseling support for their colleagues when working on especially tough cases such as this one. 

Investigators are reiterating no arrests have been made and there is no threat to the public. 

Alysha Lacey works at the Dougy Center, a local nonprofit organization aimed at helping people have conversations with their loved ones about grief. She said tragedies like this can have a ripple effect on the community.

"The really powerful thing that we see happening at Dougy Center is people just connecting through their grief and really finding that support and connection and eventually, kind of those feelings of hope," Lacey said.

Deputy Huey said the impacts of this story reach far and wide.

"It's impacting a lot of individuals, even family that is outside of this country. Our Investigations Division is really taking this case seriously and spending a lot of resources to make sure that we do it right," he said.

The Forest Grove School District said they've been in touch with families at the school to help them navigate grief and provide resources.

"We have communicated with school families and are providing district grief and mental health care resources for students, staff, and families at the school," the district said.

Anyone with information about the family or the case is encouraged to contact the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

Stay with KOIN 6 News for the latest developments in the story.