By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the weekend murder of two young children at the hands of their father. Officials say the father then tried to kill himself and remains in the hospital.

Officials received a call Sunday morning at 3:37 a.m. about a domestic incident at 162 Trent Road. The caller told the dispatcher the suspect, later identified as Shawn Fuller, was firing a weapon and was intoxicated, a statement said.

Two calls were made to 911, one by the brother of Shawn Fuller and the other, reportedly by his wife.

Deputies arrived to the home at 3:43 a.m., within six minutes of the initial call, and found Shawn Fuller outside the front door with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Upon entry into the home, deputies discovered two small children, now identified as Josiah Fuller, 3, and Uriah Fuller, 4, deceased. Both boys lived at the home with their mother and father.

An autopsy was conducted Monday and preliminary results show the brothers died of multiple gunshot wounds.

A witness on the phone with the suspect at the time of the shooting told authorities Shawn Fuller said “that he had killed the kids and would kill law enforcement.”

Officials did not provide further details about the witness, but say they’ve interviewed the witness.

Investigators say the actual shooting took place prior to the first 911 call to Iredell Communications.

The family appears to have been in this state for three to four years and authorities say they responded in May to one domestic related incident at the home. The call concerned a verbal altercation between Shawn Fuller and his wife.

A gun was found next to Shawn Fuller outside of the home, officials said, it belonged to his wife and was hidden in the house. She was assaulted prior to leaving the house and calling 911. No other weapons were found at the home.

Shawn Fuller was taken to Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte where he remains in critical condition. Investigators say if Shawn Fuller survives, he’ll be charged with two counts of murder.