In a shocking family tragedy, Marine Basmajian, who had reportedly welcomed a baby girl just six days earlier, allegedly took the lives of her husband and two young children, including the newborn, on May 27 last month.
As details of the case emerged, acquaintances of the family and many netizens speculated that postpartum depression may have played a role, with some questioning whether warning signs had been missed in the days following the birth.
However, that line of reasoning sparked significant backlash from others who argued that the public would react very differently if the suspect had been a man.
One frustrated commenter wrote, “Can people stop making excuses for her. When a man annihilates his family there is no excuses made for him nor should there be.”
Authorities have classified the case as a m**der-s**cide after Marine Basmajian allegedly took the lives of her family members and herself
Image credits: GoFundMe
Trigger Warning: This article contains sensitive content that may be distressing for some readers.
Last week, officers from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) responded to reports of g*nfire at a home in the 16200 block of Londelius Street in the North Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at approximately 7:50 p.m.
According to reports, the emergency call was made by concerned neighbors and family members.
Upon entering the residence, authorities discovered four deceased individuals: Marine Basmajian, Khajag Basmajian, and their two young children, all of whom had sustained firearm wounds to the head.
The victims were identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, which ruled the causes of passing for the husband and two children as homicides.
Image credits: GoFundMe
Marine reportedly passed away from a self-inflicted firearm wound to the head, leading the Medical Examiner’s Office and the LAPD to classify the incident as a m**der-s**cide.
According to investigators, detectives found no prior history of domestic violence, substance a*use, or police calls involving the family.
While authorities reportedly confirmed there was no ongoing threat to the public and that Marine acted alone, an official motive remains under investigation by the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division.
The tragedy has profoundly impacted the local Armenian-American community in the San Fernando Valley. Neighbors and community members expressed shock, describing the Basmajian family as quiet and loving.
The 29-year-old mother of two had given birth to a baby girl just six days before the family tragedy
Image credits: Foxla
Given that Marine had welcomed baby Ella Basmajian just six days before the incident, family members and neighbors suggested that severe postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis may have played a role.
One of the family’s neighbors, Karen Banuelos, told the Los Angeles Times, “It’s so depressing, it’s so devastating for everyone. Postpartum [depression] is real.”
She added, “To get possessed to do that? It’s just, there’s no words.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, postpartum depression (PPD) is a severe, long-lasting mood disorder that can develop after childbirth, causing persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that interfere with a parent’s ability to care for themselves or their newborn.
Symptoms such as frequent crying, persistent low mood, intense anger or rage, and severe mood swings can appear within the first few weeks after delivery or develop gradually over the course of a year.
Image credits: Foxla
Other signs include loss of energy, overwhelming fatigue, difficulty sleeping, significant changes in appetite, trouble concentrating, remembering details, or making simple decisions, and a loss of interest in activities that would normally bring enjoyment.
Meanwhile, postpartum psychosis is a rare but severe psychiatric emergency distinct from PPD. Symptoms can include extreme agitation, confusion, delusions, hallucinations, and rapid or disorganized speech.
The widespread belief that Marine may have been experiencing postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis was also echoed by several social media users, many of whom said they had personally experienced such conditions.
One person wrote, “At 6 days after birth postnatal depression can be bad. Hospital staff and relatives need to be aware of its existence…”
“PND is real! Unless you have had a baby and experienced this you have NO authority to comment! Blame the chronic LACK OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND SUPPORT!” another user added.
One user expressed, “I had postpartum psychosis so I do understand the severity of it, but there are never justifiable reasons for this”
Image credits: Foxla
“People…educate yourselves on post partum depression. Your health care systems should already have education programmes in place. Improve your health literacy levels by researching evidence based knowledge. You may contribute to making positive changes to your community,” remarked a third.
Another comment read, “Post partum depression/psychosis is real. Moms need to be assessed and treated more effectively.”
“I feel for her. There needs to be more help for moms when it comes to post partum depression. I had it and it’s real.”
However, many users strongly argued that postpartum struggles do not excuse or justify the loss of innocent children and a spouse.
One netizen strongly expressed, “I understand ppd is a thing, because I went through it.. but I could never let that make me feel like I have to harm what I have made. As someone who went through that, my children made me want to do therapy… such a sad story.”
Image credits: Foxla
Another user commented, “I am a mom who suffered from PPD but I never wanted to hurt my kids, it’s also crazy how we ‘try to defend’ when it’s a female but if it was the man who k*lled the family everyone would be crucifying him.”
“Yet another excuse for violent female behaviour,” wrote a third, while another added, “I was just about to comment that with a male, it’s always labelled as DV – when a female commits a crime, it’s always mental health issues…so so wrong.”
“I had postpartum depression, I didn’t k*ll my family. Always excuses for woman, you’d be burning the world down for justice if this was a man.”
According to the World Health Organization, postpartum depression itself rarely leads to physical violence. However, severe untreated cases can increase the risk of s*lf-harm and, in some circumstances, aggressive behavior.
The grieving family remembered Marine as “a caring mother and wife” in a GoFundMe campaign created to help cover memorial expenses
Image credits: TheCourtroomOfficial
Untreated severe maternal mental health conditions can increase the risk of s*lf-harm or s**cide, making early intervention critical.
Meanwhile, experts argue that physical violence toward an infant or others is exceedingly rare and is most commonly associated with postpartum psychosis rather than standard postpartum depression.
According to available statistics, postpartum psychosis affects approximately 1 to 2 out of every 1,000 births and typically requires immediate psychiatric intervention to ensure the safety of both the parent and those around them.
The extended family of Marine and Khajag created a GoFundMe campaign to help cover unexpected funeral, memorial, and related expenses.
Part of the fundraiser description read, “In a single moment, we lost an entire young family who were deeply loved by everyone who knew them.”
Khajag was remembered as a “devoted husband, loving father, cherished son, brother, and friend,” defined by his constant beaming smile and a resilient, “positive outlook on life.”
Marine was described as “a caring mother and wife who found comfort in organization and enjoyed gatherings among her loved ones.”
“As we face the unimaginable task of honoring and laying four beloved family members to rest, we are asking for support to help cover funeral and memorial and other unexpected expenses during this difficult time.”
It concluded, “Our goal is to help support our family [so they] can focus on healing, remembering their lives, and preserving their legacy. Every donation, prayer, and share is deeply appreciated. Thank you for helping us honor the memory of Khajag, Marine, Alec, and Ella.”
As of this writing, the campaign has raised more than $181,000, surpassing its $150,000 goal.
“Interesting that when a female is the perpetrator the words domestic violence are rarely if ever used,” wrote one netizen
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