Family of victims killed in Belfair: 'We're in a lot of pain'



BELFAIR – The community is grieving over the death of a Mason County mother and her two sons. Sheriffs say they were murdered by her husband, but the couple's 12 year-old adopted daughter managed to escape.

The family of the girl says they’re trying to protect her privacy now, because they don’t want her to be overwhelmed.

“This shocked all of us just as much as it did the community,” says Patrick Johnstad, the brother of Lana Carlson.

Carlson was killed at her home near Belfair yesterday, along with her sons 16 year old Quinn and 18 year old Tory. Tory was a culinary arts students at Olympic College.

“He was a really good kid, hardest working kid I’ve ever known,” says Johnstad.

Sheriff’s say the family and another person were shot by Carlson’s husband, 51 year old David Wayne Campbell. Her family says they never expected this.

“As far as we knew, she was happy.”

Campbell ran a heating and air conditioning business out of his home, so his former employees got to know the whole family.

“Lana would do little BBQs,” says Tasha Adderly. “She was very sweet, very sweet and so were the kids.”

“He always said he loved her and he was always bragging on his kids,” adds Joe Gallegos.

But Gallegos says he did see flashes of anger from Campbell.

“His mood swings were really up and down, he was very verbal, threatened physical violence.”

Adderly says Campbell also had several guns and threatened to use them.

“He did carry them around his home, on his waist, all the time. And he'd mention I could take someone out and kill them and no one would know.”

Last summer, Gallegos says Campbell pointed a gun at him. So he quit his job and filed a protection order, asking the county to take away Campbell’s weapons. Gallegos is now wondering whether this tragedy could have been prevented.

“I am so saddened for the whole family, it is so sad. I think it could have been avoided if he didn't have the weapons.”

The community of Belfair is now coming together and taking some comfort in the fact that Carlson’s 12 year old daughter did survive.

“We want them to know that they're not forgotten, and that we care about them,” says Emily Holmdahl. “We want the sister that did survive to know that we're going to support her and we're going to help her as a community however we can.”

The girl’s family say they appreciate that support.

“She is safe and she is with family, so she will be taken care of,” says Johnstad.

The coroner has not released the name of the other person shot.

The community says they’ll be holding a prayer vigil for all the victims Monday night at 6:30 pm at the Belfair Community Church.