Eight people, five of them minors, from the same family were found dead
with gunshot wounds
in a house in southwestern Utah, according to local authorities, who did not provide details about the possible motives for the crime.
Their bodies were discovered as officers in Enoch City, 178 miles northeast of Las Vegas, were conducting a welfare check, a city spokesperson said in a news release.
This is a type of visit that the police make when the status of a person who has not been heard from for a long time is unknown or when there is a report of a possible mental health crisis situation.
There were no immediate fugitive suspects or threats to the public, according to the statement, adding that the investigation is continuing and more information will be released later.
[Police confirm that a driver drove off a cliff in his car with two children and a woman on board]
Authorities have not publicly identified the victims either.
However, the local school district disclosed that
five of them were minors, belonged to the same family and studied
in schools in the area.
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Enoch is a small
town of 8,000 people
located 245 miles (394 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.
Its manager, Rob Dotson, said the family was well known in town and the tragedy has shocked the community.
“We all know this family, many of us have served with them in church, in the community, and have gone to school with these people,” he said in a video statement.
[Police accuse him of murdering his son. He had already been arrested last year for assaulting the child]
"
Right now, this community is hurting
. They're feeling loss, they're feeling pain, and they have a lot of questions," Dotson said.
He stressed that the authorities will learn more information about what happened as the investigation progresses.
"We won't know what they thought, the ideas of the people who suffered this tragedy, but we can all pray that their families and neighbors and everyone comes to understand what happened, probably in a day or two or maybe more," he said.
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In a letter, the Iron County School District said they
were from the same family
.
Five were students, according to the letter, which was addressed to parents and guardians in the district.
“This loss is sure to raise many emotions, concerns, and questions for our entire school district, especially our students,” the letter said.
The district added that a crisis intervention team would be available to students.
On Twitter, Utah Governor Spencer Cox called the violence "senseless" and asked people to keep Enoch in their prayers.
With information from
NBC News
and
The Associated Press
.