New York State Police say they are continuing to search for the bodies of a mother and her two children who crossed Niagara Falls on Monday evening.

The victims, identified as 33-year-old Chaianti Means, her 9-year-old son Roman Rossman and her 5-month-old daughter Mecca Means, are presumed dead. The Niagara Gazette reports that investigators are beginning to shed some light on the matter To obscure what they know and call the incident “intentional in nature.”

“We believe this is intentional, but the circumstances surrounding what actually happened are currently under investigation. They definitely went there that night and neither of them returned. Based on the information, we know it was an intentional act, but the reason for that is a more difficult answer,” said Trooper James O’Callaghan, a state police public information officer. “The circumstances of how this happened, that's the part we may be able to solve, or we may never know.” I won't go into detail about what the witnesses saw because it's still an active one case, but what they told us is alarming.”

O'Callaghan said the incident was captured on video by surveillance cameras at the state park and at the edge of the falls. The 9-year-old boy went into the water first around 9 p.m. Monday, jumping over a 3- to 4-foot safety railing, followed by the little girl. then her mother stepped in.

The boy went over the falls first, he said.

Asked if Means was preying on her children, O'Callaghan said: “No, we believe that was intentional.”

According to the Gazette, investigators are working to determine whether mental health issues may have played a role. The fathers of both children were “very cooperative,” O'Callaghan added.

Means, who lived with her family in Niagara Falls, reportedly worked as a domestic violence counselor in Western New York.

The investigation and search for the bodies are ongoing. Search forces, including Marine units and Park Police drones, focused on the gorge and shoreline of the Niagara River.

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Are you or a friend considering suicide? How to get help

Dial 911 if you or your friend are in immediate danger.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline, 1-800-273-8255. This toll-free, confidential suicide prevention hotline is available to anyone experiencing suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Dialing 1-800-273-TALK will route the call to the nearest crisis center in a national network of more than 150 crisis centers, including Contact Community Services in Syracuse.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, you can access this confidential, free service by calling or texting 988. You can chat at 988lifeline.org

Contact the Community Services Hotline, (315)-251-0600 offers 24-hour telephone advice.

Crisis hotline for veterans and military, 1-800-273-8255 Press 1.

crisis text line, an SMS service to support emotional crises. To speak to a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741. The message is free, available 24/7 and confidential.

Comprehensive psychiatric assessment program (CPEP), 205 Prospect Ave., Syracuse, (315) 448-6555. This licensed psychiatric emergency room at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center provides assessment and treatment for individuals of all ages who are experiencing an acute mental health crisis.

St. Joseph's Mobile Crisis Outreach(315)-726-8650 or (315)-569-4129, provides third-party initial assessment and assessment of individuals in emotional crisis.

Upstate High Risk Psychiatry Program, (315) 464-3117, outpatient treatment for people at high risk of suicide. Anyone interested in the program can call. Recommendations are not required.