Five members of a Utah family, including three young children, were found shot to death in their home on Tuesday, and a sixth — a 17-year-old boy — was wounded and hospitalized.

West Valley City Police believe the shooting was a murder suicide, KSL reported.

“A small handgun was found under the body of the father. We believe this was the weapon used in the shootings; however ballistics and forensics investigation will determine that definitively,” said Roxeanne Vainuku, deputy communications director for the department, at a press conference Wednesday.

“The father likely shot all of the members of the family and then himself. However we do need to wait for confirmation from ballistics evidence and also from forensics evidence to be able to determine that definitively,” Vainuku said.

The surviving victim remains in critical condition with a severe brain injury, she said.

Vainuku said on Tuesday that police had initially been called to the home on Sunday by another family member for a welfare check but found no reason to break in, so they left after peeking in windows and talking to neighbors, the Gephardt Daily reported.

“Today, the woman who lives inside this home did not show up for work, so that same family member did come back to the house and actually entered the garage of the home,” Vainuku said.

A family member contacted us 12/16 with concerns they had not heard from the woman who lives in the home.
The family member came by the house over the few days prior and had not reached the woman.
We responded to the house and tried to make contact. but no one answered. 1/5

— WVC Police (@WVCPD) December 18, 2024

“Inside the garage, she found one of the family members who lives here, a 17-year-old male, and he appeared injured. So the family member called us again and we came out. When we got here, we found the 17-year-old male, alive in the garage, with what appeared to be a gunshot wound.”

Using that as a reason to enter the home, police found a 42-year-old man, a 38-year-old woman, and three younger children — an 11-year-old boy and 9- and 2-year-old girls — dead from gunshot wounds.

Police have still not released the names of the family involved.

Vainuku said there was no history of domestic violence at the home.

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