‘Firecrackers, cute as buttons’: Town left reeling after boys, 6 and 7, found dead at home in Coonabarabran in rural NSW

A small community has been left reeling after two boys were found dead following a welfare check by police overnight. Officers attended the home on Emu Ln in Coonabarabran – more than 488km northwest of Sydney, in the Warrumbungle Shire council region – just after 2pm on Monday, following reports of a concern for welfare. Two boys, aged 6 and 7, were found deceased inside the home and their grandmother, 66, was taken to hospital for further assessment. In a further update on Tuesday afternoon, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland said both boys were found in separate rooms within their grandmother’s house. She remains under guard in hospital. Commissioner Holland confirmed the grandmother was known to police but “not adversely” and the children’s biological parents had been contacted. “The family is not doing well,” he said. “Anyone confronted with the death of one child let alone two in these sorts of circumstances would be struggling.” Commissioner Holland also praised the actions of young police officers who responded to the scene, calling them “heroic”. The horrific discovery has led to an outpouring of grief in the tiny rural town – which has a population of just 2387 people. Warrumbungle Shire councillor Kodi Brady took to social media to pay tribute to the “firecracker” kids in the hours after the tragedy. On his official Facebook page he wrote: “My heart is broken alongside the whole community, two little firecracker kids!” “They were among it all, 100 miles an hour, involved in soccer, karate, wild as march hares and cute as buttons! So devastating for all!” “If anyone needs anything at all, a shoulder to lean on, a cuppa or just a yarn please sing out.” Photographs of the scene capture police swarming the rural street, which is located a short drive outside of the town of Coonabarabran. Fire crews wearing heavy kits and forensic officers can be seen entering the building, as the remainder of Emu Ln is blocked off by police tape. One woman walking her dog is seen briefly speaking to police outside, before she is allowed to cross the tape. Speaking to the ABC, Shiara Green said she spoke to her own sons on the night of the tragedy. “I tried not to cry,” she told the broadcaster. “I’m emotional just trying to talk about it now. “They didn’t really react too much to it … but [I said] you’re going to hear about it all tomorrow when you go to school.” Karate instructor Peter Wilkie told the broadcaster both boys had taken lessons at his studio, just a town over. “They were good kids. They were quiet achievers,” he said. NSW Premier Chris Minns continued his tributes after first learning of the incident on Monday. “What has occurred is terrible and as a state we share in the community of Coonabarabran’s grief at the loss of two young boys who had their entire futures ahead of them,” he said. “I cannot begin to imagine the heartbreak their loved ones are currently feeling, including their family, friends, and teachers. “I thank the local officers who attended the scene for their professionalism and bravery in the face of such a horrible event.”