HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. — In the eyes of their neighbors, John Bishop, his wife and children were the All-American family, often together in the yard or riding bikes.
But in private, the family had been dealing with the father's depression, a relative said.
"John got sick. He had been under a doctor's care for about a month," his father-in-law, Ed Legg, told The Denver Post.
The five were found shot to death in their beds Tuesday — Bishop, an executive at Qwest Communications International Inc.; Sherrill Ann Bishop, 38, a part-time schoolteacher; son Andrew, 9; and twin daughters Kelley and Megan, 6.
Authorities said there were no signs of a break-in, and a rifle was found in the house near one of the bodies. Police Sgt. Tim Moore told the Rocky Mountain News that murder-suicide was one theory being considered.
On Wednesday, the two-story home was marked off by yellow police tape, and the windows were sealed with red tape.
A bouquet of roses and three small teddy bears were left in front of the home, and in the driveway, four names were scrawled in children's colored chalk.
"If you were looking for the perfect American family, that's one I would nominate," said Bob Toney, a retired Air Force colonel and church administrator who lives next door. "It's impossible to comprehend what would have triggered something like that."
Toney said the family had lived in the house in the fast-growing community south of Denver for about 12 years. They often went camping together, and the children were often seen riding their bikes with their parents, he said. He described the father as reserved and the mother as outgoing.
Qwest spokesman Matt Barkett said Bishop was a 20-year employee who had recently been promoted to senior director of local network planning.
Karen Moore, the principal of Summit View Elementary school, which the children attended and where their mother taught, praised Sherrill Bishop as someone who easily built rapport with both children and adults. She said the school planned to bring in extra counselors to help students deal with the deaths.