A grieving father whose daughter and six grandchildren were killed by his son-in-law says he still has love for the killer. Last Friday, Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, shot his wife Amanda and their six children, ages five to fifteen, before setting fire to their family's $750,000 Michigan home and turning the gun on himself. Amanda's father, Gary Anderson, has now spoken out about the tragedy, telling The Detroit News: 'I struggle to understand the why.' 'I love my daughter Mandy, and I loved those six children. In a way, I still love Kris,' the 78-year-old told the newspaper. Anderson said he does not believe that a person's legacy or worth should be measured by the 'worst thing they did on the worst day of their life.' He said that for the entire time he knew Kristopher, he was a 'good father and a good husband.' Amanda, 39, revealed in a series of Reddit posts that Kristopher had an 'emotional affair' with an intern at his job that she described as a 'younger, wilder' version of herself.

Anderson, seemingly hinting at the alleged affair, said he was 'aware of some failures that entered their relationship' but overall has 'no idea what happened.' He claimed both Kristopher and Amanda had their own individual struggles, and noted that the two of them are the only people who really know what caused the downfall in their marriage. Amanda's Reddit posts detailed that for years after the affair, she felt distrust and anger her relationship. She revealed that the pair were in couples and individual therapy, and had embraced sobriety but still seemingly struggled.

Amanda even admitted to violently shoving Kristopher when she discovered he was cheating and how she vengefully forced him to quit his job afterwards. The 39-year-old also alleged that she had no contact with Anderson and his entire family, including her older sister Molly. Although the Reddit account features several personal details that match those belonging to Amanda, family spokesperson Emily Jones told WOOD that the couple's loved ones have no way to confirm the validity of the account.

'It's very clear that whoever wrote that, they were using Reddit as an outlet to seek support in a bit of anonymity, because for whatever reason, they felt they couldn't seek it in their real lives,' Jones said. 'I think that that's sad in and of itself, whether it was Mandy or somebody else. It's sad if somebody feels like they can't speak their fears out loud outside of something like Reddit.' Investigators believe Kristopher shot and killed his family inside their Grand Haven Township home on July 24. No motive has been revealed. 

Ottawa County Sheriff's Office Captain Jake Sparks told TMZ that the couple's bodies were found in their bedroom, while their children's bodies were discovered in their respective bedrooms. The 47-year-old carried out the attack with a semi-automatic handgun, firing at least eight shots before setting the home ablaze and taking his own life, Captain Sparks said. It remains unclear how exactly the blazes began, and Michigan State Police arson investigators are looking into the case. The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office also discovered at least three dead dogs and one dead cat inside.

The family's pets died from smoke or fire-related injuries, and authorities said additional animals may have been killed in the blaze. Amanda and her children's deaths have been ruled homicides, and Kristopher took his own life. Four of the six children were Kristopher's biological children. The other two were adopted by the couple. Sparks added that investigators are canvassing the neighborhood for surveillance footage and speaking with witnesses as they retrace the family's final hours and try to uncover what caused the deadly rampage.

Kristopher lost his job weeks before the bloodbath. He was let go from his role as Vice President of sales and marketing with the American Heart Association (AHA) earlier this month, a statement said. No further details on his dismissal were shared. In a statement to the Daily Mail, the AHA said Kristopher worked for the organization from September of 2023 until earlier this month. It added: 'We are devastated by the news out of Michigan, and our thoughts are with the loved ones of those who lost their lives in this tragedy.'