On May 2, 2022, Trinh Nguyen, 38, shot her two sons — 9-year-old Nelson Tini and 13-year-old Jeffrey Tini — in their beds inside their home in Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Both boys sustained gunshot wounds to the head and died four days later at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on May 6, 2022. Nguyen had planned the killings at least a week in advance, leaving behind a handwritten will and manifesto. The family was facing imminent eviction, with a court order to vacate by May 3. After the shootings, Nguyen attempted to shoot a neighbor but the gun failed to fire, then fled to New Jersey where she obtained and ingested heroin in a failed suicide attempt. She was apprehended, ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
The fatality report states the child "died as the result of a gunshot wound." The 6abc.com article reports "Authorities say Nguyen shot her two boys" and a ".38-caliber Ruger revolver was located from the front of the neighbor's home." This is explicitly a firearm incident.
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The fatality report states the child "died as the result of a gunshot wound" and that "the mother shot the child." The midmichigannow.com article specifies the boys had "gunshot wounds to their heads." Being shot by a parent constitutes an inflicted injury.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The mother shot and killed both of her sons and then attempted to kill herself by ingesting narcotics. The 6abc.com article states: "she claimed to have traveled to New Jersey to obtain narcotics, which she ingested in an attempt to kill herself." She also left behind a handwritten will and a note reading "Please call 911! My children are dead in their bed." This fits the pattern of a murder-suicide attempt (though the mother survived).
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The fatality report explicitly names "the victim child's mother as the perpetrator" and states "the mother shot the child and the child's sibling." News articles identify her as Trinh Nguyen, the biological mother.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
The fatality report explicitly states: "The family had no prior documented child welfare involvement." This directly addresses the question, confirming no prior history of child protection reports.
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The fatality report states: "At the time the report was indicated, the mother had been criminally charged." The 6abc.com article reports she faced "first-degree murder charges." The midmichigannow.com article states: "Trinh T. Nguyen pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, and she got two life terms without the possibility of parole."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
While no formal mental health diagnosis or treatment is referenced, the mother's suicide attempt is inherently a mental health-related event. The 6abc.com article states she "ingested [narcotics] in an attempt to kill herself." She also left a handwritten will and a note anticipating her death. The midmichigannow.com article describes her as having written "a manifesto laying out what she was going to do" expressing "the hate she had for others and the people she blamed." These actions collectively imply significant mental health distress, though no formal diagnosis is stated.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The 6abc.com article reports that the mother "claimed to have traveled to New Jersey to obtain narcotics, which she ingested in an attempt to kill herself." The midmichigannow.com article states detectives found "several empty suspected heroin packages, several full suspected heroin packages" in her minivan. Though the mother stated "she had not used drugs in the past," the ingestion of narcotics as part of the incident constitutes substance use by the parent/caregiver.
Notable Details
Several notable contextual details emerge from the documents. The mother planned the killing at least a week in advance, leaving behind a handwritten will dated April 25, 2022, and a manifesto that the lead prosecutor described as laying out her plan and reflecting "the hate she had for others and the people she blamed." A significant precipitating factor was an imminent eviction: court records showed over $11,000 in unpaid rent, and on April 18 a judge ordered Nguyen to vacate the home by May 3, 2022 — one day after the shooting. Additionally, after shooting her sons, Nguyen attempted to shoot a 22-year-old neighbor (her ex-husband's nephew), but the gun failed to fire and the neighbor disarmed her. The family had no prior documented child welfare involvement, suggesting no system-level warning signs before this incident.
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