Aug. 19--A Superior, Wis., man is believed responsible for shooting to death his pregnant wife and their 13-month-old daughter before he killed himself at the family's home, authorities said Thursday.

Officers called early Wednesday afternoon to the house in the 2000 block of N. 22nd Street found the bodies of April J. Oles-Magdzas, 26, Matthew M. Magdzas, 23, and daughter Lila Magdzas, police said. Oles-Magdzas was 8 1/2 months pregnant, according to family members. Also shot to death in the home were three dogs, police said.

"Evidence at the crime scene indicates that the perpetrator of this violent crime action was likely Matthew Magdzas," police said in a statement issued Thursday morning.

Magdzas was a 23-year-old Wisconsin National Guard soldier who earned a combat badge in the Iraq War.

There had been no prior calls to the home "for any type of domestic incident of disturbance," the statement continued, adding that Superior police have no adult arrest record with their department for the husband.

The deaths occurred sometime Tuesday afternoon, and the handgun likely used in the shootings was found at the scene, police added.

Lt. Col. Jackie Guthrie, spokesman for the Wisconsin National Guard, said that Magdzas' most recent deployment was to Kuwait from 2006 to 2007.

Oles-Magdzas was hired as an assistant cheerleader coach at Duluth East High School for the coming school year, said Shawn Roed, East's director of student activities.

"The Duluth East High School community lost a very special person today," Road said in a statement. "April was very excited about working with the squad during the upcoming school year. ... April's passion for working with young people was evident to everyone that came into contact with her, and we were very proud to have her on staff at Duluth East."

Late Wednesday, officers discovered what appeared to be a possible explosive device in a backpack at the home.

A bomb squad determined that the backpack posed no danger but still moved it to another location and destroyed it.

Paul Walsh --612-673-4482

-----



To see more of the Star Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.startribune.com/.

Copyright (c) 2010, Star Tribune, Minneapolis

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail services@mctinfoservices.com, or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544).

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.