A murder suspect boasted about gunning down his wife in sick tweets sent to Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association, according to reports in the US.
Kevin Heimsoth, 56, is accused of shooting his wife Lynn on Boxing Day at their home in Seattle.
In a chilling social media post, believed to have been posted from his account moments after the killing, he described himself as a "coward" and said guns made murder "super easy".
Heimsoth is believed to have shot Lynn, 58, and their two pets, a dog and a cat, on Thursday morning.
He then turned the gun on himself, but is thought to have survived a self-inflicted gunshot.
In a tweet to the NRA, he wrote: "Guns don't kill people, people do. Guns just make it a lot easier. AR-15 makes it super easy.
"I jsit killed my whole family, and i couldnt have done it without a gun! I'm too much of a coward, a knife would have been waaay too hard. So, thanks to everyone at the NRA."
Moments later a tweet said a "welfare check" was needed at the address, saying there was "lots of blood".
The original tweet was then sent to Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader.
Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo did not comment on the tweets, but told the Bellingham Herald: “This horrendous crime impacted many in our community.
“While our investigation has not yet revealed any facts that would indicate a propensity for domestic violence prior to the murder, anyone with information that might be helpful to our investigation and review of this incident is requested to contact the Sheriff’s Office.
"As this case illustrates, the dynamics of domestic violence can escalate and lead to extreme violence.”
Lynn was an elementary school principal, and the Golden Retriever, named Sukha, was her therapy dog.
A vigil was held at Sunnyland Elementary School, where she had worked since 2007, after thh shooting.
