WASHINGTON - A man used a handgun to kill his 9-year-old son and then himself in Manchester, the largest city of the US state of New Hampshire, authorities said Sunday.

Muni Savyon, 54, shot his son Joshua Savyon during a supervised visitation at a Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) office Sunday morning.

The father, an Israeli-born software engineer, had sent an email to at least one friend saying he was suicidal before the tragedy, said Rabbi Levi Krinsky of Chabad Lubavitch in Manchester.

According to Krinsky, who said he had known the father for five years, Savyon's brother had died five weeks earlier in Israel and the father had appeared depressed when Krinsky last met him a week ago.

Krinsky said the man and the boy's mother shared custody of the boy after parting ways years ago.

The couple's marital status wasn't clear. Krinsky said the couple was divorced, but law enforcement officials said they were separated.

Law enforcement officials said the relationship had been contentious at times and Savyon had previously threatened to kill himself, his son's mother and their son.

The Manchester YWCA offers child custody exchanges and supervised child visitation, according to its website.

An adult supervisor was in the room with the father and son and escaped without injury, according to authorities.

An investigation is underway. Autopsies are set to be conducted on both bodies Monday.