(MGN)

Authorities in International Falls are investigating after finding two people dead of apparent gunshot wounds on March 6.

That morning, around 4:40 a.m., a Koochiching County Sheriff’s deputy on patrol drove past a home on the 4100 block of Highway 11 in International Falls, when they noticed a running vehicle in the driveway. The vehicle was known to the deputy, with a protection order in place between it’s owner, and the home’s resident.

After trying to contact the resident and receiving no answer, officers forced their way into the home where they found 35-year-old Ashley E. Kittelson and 44-year-old Nicholas D. Kittelson dead.

Police say both had apparent gunshot wounds, with Nicholas Kittelson’s believed to have been self inflicted.

The investigation is on-going, and is being conducted by the Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office, International Falls Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office. Police have not released any further details.

GoFundMe started for family after woman killed, man found dead by suicide in International Falls

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. (Northern News Now) – Family and friends of Ashley Kittelson have launched a GoFundMe campaign after two people were found dead in an International Falls residence over the weekend, leaving her three children without their mother.

All funds raised will go directly toward supporting Ashley’s children with counseling, daily living expenses, education, clothing, and other essential needs.

Ashley E. Kittelson of International Falls(GoFundMe)

The organizer of the GoFundMe describes Ashley Kittelson as a devoted mother of three, a compassionate nurse, and a cherished friend, whose life was taken in an act of violence that has left her children without their mother’s love and guidance.

She dedicated her life to caring for others—both in her work as a nurse and in the love she poured into raising her children. Her kids were her entire world, and she worked hard to give them safety, love, and opportunity.

Investigation underway

According to the Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office, an investigation is underway after Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, along with International Falls Police Officers, forced entry into the residence and located two deceased individuals.

The Sheriff’s Office identified the individuals as 35-year-old Ashley E. Kittelson of International Falls, who was killed by an apparent gunshot wound, and 44-year-old Nicholas D. Kittelson of International Falls, who was located with what officers described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

A deputy on patrol early Friday morning noticed a vehicle running in the driveway of a residence in the 4100 block of Highway 11. The deputy was aware of a protection order in place between the vehicle’s owner and the resident.

The Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office is investigating. Officials said no further information is available at this time.

Community support and conversation

Following this tragedy in International Falls, friends of the victim and local resource centers like Safe Haven are turning their grief into a call for action — stressing that anyone living with domestic violence should know support is out there, and to seek help now, not after it’s too late.

Friends say as a nurse and a friend, Ashley made everyone around her feel seen, loved, and supported — but now they fear she was caring for everyone but herself.

Friend and coworker Maddy Albright said, “I think Ashley was the kind of person who really focused on other people’s wellbeing and kind of sometimes didn’t focus on her own or feel comfortable expressing that she was struggling because she’s so focused and worried about everybody else.”

In the wake of her death, the guilt and the what ifs are hard to escape.

“I just feel like we failed her,” said Albright.

They say Ashley’s story is shining a light on domestic violence in small, rural communities, where it often stays hidden.

“Especially in a smaller community where it’s not something that’s prioritized or talked about and it’s very often swept under the rug, kept private,” said Albright.

Resource centers like Safe Haven agree that rural communities do face a heightened set of challenges when it comes to domestic violence.

Shelter Director at Safe Haven Ethan Powers said, “it can take seven to 12 times for people to leave an abusive situation. That can be one year, or that could be 50 years.”

Powers also said having children can make it even harder for survivors to seek help.

“They try to protect them at the risk of themselves. It takes a lot longer for people to flee the situation. There’s no question about that,” said Powers.

Since Ashley’s death, the community has rallied around her three children — a GoFundMe raised $20,000 in just 24 hours, a sign of how deeply she was loved and will be missed.

“This community was her family. It is her family and will always be her family. It is our job to take care of those children, and it is our job to take care of each other and never let it happen again. It can never happen again,” said Albright.

Local shelters and advocacy centers can also help with safety planning, emergency housing, and protection orders.