The deaths of a boarding school headmistress and her husband and daughter in Surrey could be a homicide, police said on Tuesday.
Officers are carrying out a homicide investigation to “establish the full chronology and circumstances of the incident.”
Surrey Police said officers are “confident there is no third-party involvement and there is no wider threat or risk to the community.”
While causes of deaths have not been confirmed, police recovered a firearm registered to George Pattison. Police said he had notified the force of a previous change of address on Feb. 2 “as is routine.”
“Due to the short period of time between that contact and this incident, we have made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC),” the force said.
Surrey Police said officers found the bodies at around 1:10 a.m. on Sunday after being contacted by the South East Coast Ambulance Service, which confirmed attendance to The Epoch Times but didn’t provide further comments.
The result of formal identifications has not been published, but police said officers are “confident” of the identities of the bodies.
The causes of deaths will not be confirmed until later this week when post-mortems are expected to be completed.
Police dismissed reports that a rifle range in the school was cordoned off, saying the range does not form part of the scene or the inquiries.
Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey, senior investigating officer on the case, said: “This is an incredibly traumatic incident and we are working around the clock to investigate and understand the exact circumstances which led to this point.
“We understand the public concern and upset, and we will clarify what we can, when we can, while respecting the right to a level of privacy for the families of those who have lost their lives.”
Edey said the force is “cooperating fully with the IOPC” in relation to the referral it has made and is waiting for the outcome of the IOPC’s assessment of what further action may be required.
“Until this has been completed, we will be unable to provide further details on a number of matters,” he said.
Inspector Jon Vale, Epsom and Ewell’s borough commander, said officers are confident that the incident “was contained to one address, and there is no risk to the wider public.”
But to reassure the local communities, there will be “heightened police presence” in the area in the coming days, he added.
“If you are concerned about anything at all I’d urge you to approach an officer and discuss your concerns with them. They will be ready and happy to help you however they can,” he said.
A spokesman for the IOPC said: “We have received a referral from Surrey police about an incident in Epsom on [Feb. 5] as an officer at the force had contact with Mr. Pattison last week. We are assessing the available information to determine what, if any, further action may be required from us.”
Boarding students at the college pay more than £42,000 a year and its alumni include Conservative MP Sir Michael Fallon, broadcaster Jeremy Vine, and comedian Tim Vine.
Over 850 boys and girls attend the school, which was founded in 1853. Its acting head has been listed as Paul Williams.
Epsom College won the top prize at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2022, with judges calling it a “beacon of excellence.”
The school was also named the winner of the Student Wellbeing Award at the October ceremony thanks to its “whole-school approach to mental health and the wellbeing of both its staff and pupils.”
George Pattison was a chartered accountant who was director of a management consultancy firm called Tanglewood 2016, according to Companies House.
