Five family members, including three children, were found dead in a home in Utah on Tuesday, and another, a 17-year-old, was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound, police said.
The dead were two adults, an 11-year-old boy and two girls, ages 9 and 2, according to Roxeanne Vainuku, spokeswoman for the West Valley City Police Department. It was not immediately clear how they died.
They were found at the home in West Valley City, about 9 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. The teenager was found in the garage.
“Absolutely horrible. This is something that will certainly weigh heavily on the investigators of this case,” Vainuku said at an evening news conference.
Authorities do not believe there are any suspects on the loose, and the shooting is something that was “isolated to this house,” he added.
Because the 17-year-old “is injured and is in the hospital, there are some challenges in reaching him and getting more information,” Vainuku said.
A family member alerted police Monday after trying unsuccessfully to locate the 38-year-old woman who lived in the home, authorities said. Officers went to the house, but no one responded.
They returned Tuesday afternoon after the same family member reported finding the 17-year-old in the garage.
Police are investigating the interior of the home and have also been talking to neighbors and looking for evidence of things like doorbell cameras, Vainuku said.
By Hallie Golden
