Atlanta influencers with eight children found dead in murder-suicide, police say

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A married couple has left behind eight children after they died in a murder-suicide just six months after moving to Atlanta, Georgia to expand their businesses.

Keianna Burns, 44, and Ronnell Burns, 46, were home alone on 6 November just before 9pm when Ms Burns shot her husband to death and then killed herself with the weapon, police have said.

Ms Burns posted a video of herself singing and dancing with one of her children just hours before the shootings. Police said the child was with a relative when the couple died.

“I’m asking you one thing, because I really need it right now, I need prayer, I need prayer, I need strength, I need love,” Ms Burns said in a Facebook live video on 30 October as she struggled to grow accustomed to life in Georgia after leaving St Louis, Missouri. “Pray for me.”

The couple moved to grow their businesses – Kritique Designs Beauty & Barber Salon and Primerica Insurance.

On social media, Ms Burns shared images of her Maserati Levante that her husband gave her last year. She also showed off a car trunk filled with bags by Louis Vuitton.

Ms Burns had more than 16,000 followers on Instagram and almost 5,000 friends on Facebook.

“Right now my husband is at a retreat. I stayed back because we have our children here,” she said during her Facebook live. “However, I just hopped on here because you have to be prepared for life changes no matter what it is that is taking place. I’m trying to encourage someone because things in your life can change for the good or the bad overnight, literally. And if you don’t feel like you are a strong enough individual, some things may take you out.”

“Like real talk, I have some very positive people on my timeline and they help me through my gloomy days because yes I do have them,” Ms Burns added. “Honestly if I’m being totally perfectly honest, I’m having one right now. And the reason I’m going live is sometimes you gotta reach out and tell people that you need love. You need support, you need care. You just need a hug. And honestly you guys, I need that. I need that right now.”

“God knows I would do anything to wake up from this nightmare,” she wrote on Facebook on 23 October.

Friends and co-workers shared their grief on social media following the news of their deaths.

“To know this couple Keianna Burns and Ronnell Burns you had no choice but to love them,” Rowena Terry wrote on Facebook. “They were selfless, loving, and caring. A lot of ppl say money makes you act different but not them. They are so down to earth. And very humble. They lit up any room they walked in. Motivational to others and only wanted to change the world.”

Police have said that they have no record of domestic violence at the family’s home. The couple had both their own children as well as kids from previous relationships.

Mr Burns was featured on an episode of Divorce Court eight years ago as he separated from his first wife. He accused her of cheating, while she said he also cheated and destroyed her credit history.

He said in a YouTube video that he also considered divorcing Keianna Burns.

“We decided we was going to get a divorce, that we didn’t want to be with each other no more,” he said. “We were just done with each other.”

But in the video recorded earlier this year, he added that they eventually chose to try to work it out.