Article: Town Reeling From Domestic Violence Deaths

Westford Students Grieve Death Of Senior Marchand

POSTED: 7:47 am EST February 3, 2010
UPDATED: 8:50 am EST February 3, 2010
WESTFORD, Mass. -- The small Massachusetts town of Westford is reeling, its residents mourning following two domestic violence shootings in the last month that left two women and a high school senior dead.
At Westford Academy, the local high school, students gathered Tuesday night to share their grief over the loss of Olivia Marchand, 17, a senior and cheerleader at the school who was shot to death by her father Brian, 59, in their Makepeace Road home Monday night. Her mother, Jody, was also wounded and remains hospitalized in critical condition. Brian Marchand shot and killed himself, police said.
Stunned classmates cried and hugged each other as they left school. One student characterized the mood on campus as "melancholy."
"Depressing. Yeah, it's been a long day," he said.
One of the grief counselors at the school, Rev. Peter Quinn, also officiated at the services of Karen LeDuc, who was allegedly shot to death by her husband Fred, 45, in a botched murder-suicide on Jan. 9. Two of the couples three sons also attend Westford Academy.
Marchand was licensed to carry a 9mm handgun, but they are still unclear as to what led him to shoot his family.
"There may have been marital discord and there may have been some financial issues," District Attorney Gerry Leone said.
Whatever the reason, the school is engaging in crisis management and town residents are grieving.
"It's a very close-knit community, it's very family-oriented ... so, people are really, really shaken and they're feeling the pain," one mother said as she picked her son up at the high school.
A candlelight vigil is planned a the high school for later this week.