A child and a woman were found dead the morning of Nov. 20 in a South Amherst home in what investigators believe was a murder-suicide. The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office investigators believe Risa Louks shot her 9-year-old son before starting a fire in the home and then turning the gun on herself, said Capt. Robert Vansant. “She shot the child and then set a small fire, which caused little damage to the house and appeared to extinguish itself,” Vansant said. “She later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. “It seems that child custody disputes may have been the motive behind her actions.” At 7:27 a.m., the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office was informed by the Amherst Fire Department about a house fire at 320 Broadway Ave. in Amherst Township, Vansant wrote in a news release. After the fire was extinguished, emergency personnel discovered the bodies of the child and his mother at the scene, the release stated. “The detective bureau of the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office is now leading the investigation into this heartbreaking incident,” the release said. “As this investigation continues, it is important to acknowledge the profound loss being felt in the Amherst and Amherst Township communities and within the Amherst Exempted School District. “Our thoughts are with those affected during this incredibly difficult time.” Louks purchased the residence in 2021, according to the Lorain County Auditor’s website. Amherst Exempted Village Schools Superintendent Mike Molnar addressed the district in a social media post Nov. 20. “It is with heavy hearts that we share the tragic news of the death of one of our beloved elementary students,” Molnar wrote. The boy was a student at Powers Elementary School. “During this incredibly difficult time, we ask that you keep the family and our entire community in your thoughts and prayers,” Molnar wrote. Counseling for the students, staff and broader community will be provided by the district, he wrote.