An investigation is underway after a man shot his girlfriend and her daughter before shooting himself in an apparent murder-suicide in Mercer County, New Jersey, investigators said.

"She was always very clever, strong fighter, from when she was born, always active, never stopped moving," said Bladimir Velasquez, as he fought back tears.

Velasquez identified his daughter as 10-year-old Evangelina Velasquez, a fourth grader at Foundation Academy Charter School in Trenton. He said she loved to swim and was always decisive.

"If we were in Disneyland and she wanted to take that ride and not this one, no matter what anybody said, she was going to follow her instincts," he said.

Bladimir Velasquez.

Velasquez said Evangelina was with her mom at her boyfriend's house on the 200 block of Henry

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