By Phil Helsel and George Solis -
NBC News
The bodies of six people were recovered from a house destroyed by fire in Pennsylvania after a shootout with police this week, the district attorney reported Friday.
The suspect, whose body is believed to be among six recovered from the burned and collapsed home in East Lansdowne, is believed to have shot at least one of his nieces, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said.
Three of the deceased are children
, the family said.
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“Our assumption is that they were shot and killed and then the fire broke out, but we have no idea if that is true or not,” Stollsteimer said.
The medical examiner will determine their identities and how they died, but authorities have recognized them as members of the Le family.
Based on information provided by the family's grandparents, investigators believe the suspect shot at least one of his nieces, "which is incredible to say," according to Stollsteimer.
The grandparents “are suffering incredible trauma that I still can't imagine,” he said.
The house fire in East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. Matt Rourke / AP
“They have literally lost everything they had,” he added.
“They have lost everyone they loved and they have lost their home.”
Officers were called to a home in East Lansdowne, a town of about 2,700 people west of Philadelphia, around 3:47 p.m. Wednesday after a report that an 11-year-old girl had been shot, according to authorities. .
When two officers — one from East Lansdowne police and one from Lansdowne — arrived at the home, they were shot by someone inside the home and returned fire, police said.
Both were injured and have been released from the hospital.
One was hit in the leg and another in the forearm, Stollsteimer explained.
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Images from the scene show the almost total destruction of the house, with only the external walls standing.
Officials said firefighters were unable to extinguish the fire because of the active attacker.
The home will have to be torn down to make the area safe, according to Stollsteimer.
A torso was found next to the gun and tests will determine if it belongs to the suspect, who was the uncle of one of the victims.
The weapon is a rifle that “melted to some extent,” he said.
If the suspect is confirmed to be among the dead, the criminal investigation will be closed “because we will have found the person who we believe at least killed someone in that house, and probably murdered the others,” Stollsteimer explained.
The tests will also reveal whether the victims were alive or dead at the time of the fire.
During the initial 911 call, gunshots could be heard, he said.
A relative on Thursday identified the parents of three children as Britni McLaughlin-Le, 37, and Xuong Le, 40.
They were “loving and devoted parents to their three children, the rest of their family and their dear friends,” according to a family statement.
“His three children were outstanding in classes, art and sports.”
The investigation has not concluded and includes interviews with the police officers who fired their weapons during the incident, according to Stollsteimer each officer was “completely justified in doing so.”
A possible motive is unknown.
“It's something horrendous, horrendous,” Stollsteimer said.