Salt Lake City — Eight relations, together with 5 youngsters, had been discovered lifeless from gunshot wounds in a southern Utah residence Wednesday, authorities mentioned. They did not present extra particulars or a possible motive for the killings.
The victims had been discovered when police did a welfare test on the residence, in response to a press release by officers in Enoch, a small metropolis of about 8,000 individuals situated 245 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Police mentioned they did not detect any risk to the general public.
Enoch City Manager Rob Dotson mentioned the group was despatched reeling by news of the eight our bodies and that the deceased – all members of 1 household – had been well-known within the southern Utah city.
“Many of us have served with them in church, in the community and gone to school with these individuals,” Dotson mentioned in a video assertion Wednesday night time.
“This community at this time is hurting. They’re feeling loss, they’re feeling pain and they have a lot of questions,” Dotson added, noting that officers deliberate on releasing extra info because it turns into accessible and the police investigation progresses.
“We won’t know the mindsets, the thoughts of the individuals who experienced this tragedy, but we all can pray that their families and the neighbors and all will come to an understanding of what happened in this place, probably in a day or two, or maybe longer,” mentioned Dotson, choking up at one level.
The 5 youngsters attended faculties within the Iron County School District, officers mentioned in a letter despatched to oldsters.
According to CBS Salt Lake City affiliate KUTV, the letter mentioned, “It is with deep regret that we inform you about a tragic loss to our school community. This afternoon, on Jan. 4, eight members of a family residing in Enoch with five students in our schools tragically passed away. This loss is sure to raise many emotions, concerns, and questions for our entire school district, especially our students.”
Welfare checks based mostly on calls to the police division just like the one which led them to the residence the place the our bodies had been discovered are routine when people aren’t seen for prolonged intervals of time, Dotson mentioned.
Enoch, off Interstate 15 in rural Utah, simply north of the town of Cedar City and about 80 miles west of Bryce Canyon National Park, had main flooding in 2021 that broken a whole lot of properties.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox tweeted condolences Wednesday night time, saying, “Our hearts go out to all those affected by this senseless violence. Please keep the community of Enoch in your prayers.”