A Montreal-area man suspected of killing his family and then attempting suicide is a psychologist and a certified therapist.

Dragolub Tzokovitch, 41, was found shot and bleeding Saturday in the master bedroom of his home in Beaconsfield, a west-end suburb. He remained in critical condition as of late Sunday.

His wife, Mila Yoynova, 40, and two daughters, Iva, 17, and Alice, 10, were found shot to death in their bedrooms.

The incident has shocked those who knew the family and left them asking why a person trained in mental health did not recognize he needed help.

"I can't believe that nobody would not have a hint that something was going on," one neighbour said Sunday.

Mental health workers often hide own illnesses

But Dr. David Bloom, head of adult psychiatry at the Douglas Hospital, said mental health professionals like Tzokovitch are often good at hiding the illnesses they're trained to treat because they're afraid of being stigmatized.

"It's psychologically difficult to accept that one could be ill, that one could be joining the ranks of the people one is treating," he said.           

Bloom said what is also difficult to understand is why it appears the psychologist wanted his family to die with him.

Neighbours said Tzokovitch appeared very close to his children and recalled seeing him playing tennis with his youngest daughter the day before the slayings.

"For a very small number of people, there becomes what we call a nihilistic element to the illness, so it's really a psychotic element," Bloom said.

Bloom said Tzokovitch may have thought he was sparing his loved ones from harm if he were in a state of psychotic depression.

It's believed Tzokovitch had separated from his wife, but the two had reconciled about a year ago and were living together.

Crisis team called to school

Alice Tzokovitch was known around the neighbourhood as a polite girl who had a lot of good friends at St. Paul's Elementary School behind her house.

The school has called in a crisis team Monday to help students deal with the tragedy.

Jerry Weintraub, one of the psychologists who will be on hand Monday, said students will have questions about why and how the shootings happened.

"What we will try to do is let them know that it's exactly those kinds of questions that come up when something terrible like this happens," he told the CBC on Sunday.

He said in some cases there will be no answers to the children's questions, but it's important they know they can talk about and grieve for their friend in any way they need to.