Utah Shooting Leaves Five Children Dead in Enoch

By Staff, Agencies

An American family of eight, including five children, were found dead at a Utah home on Wednesday after being shot, according to authorities.

Police were conducting a welfare check at a home, according to a statement by officials in Enoch, a city of about 8,000 people 394km south of Salt Lake City.

No further details, including when they were killed, were provided, including for a potential motive and police said they did not detect any threat to the public.

The authorities said they did not believe that any suspects were at large. It would take a least two or more days before officials can reach a conclusion about what had taken place inside the home, according to authorities.

“At this time, we do not believe there is a threat to the public or that there are any suspects at large,” city officials said in a statement on Wednesday. The investigation is continuing.

The five children attended schools in the district, Iron County School District officials said in a letter sent to parents.

Enoch City Manager Rob Dotson said the community was shocked and that the deceased were well-known in the town.

“Many of us have served with them in church, in the community and gone to school with these individuals,” Dotson said in a video statement Wednesday night.

“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 officials planned on releasing more information as it becomes available 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,” said Dotson, choking up at one point.

Dotson said that welfare checks by the police are routinely made when individuals are not seen for a long period of time.

The five children attended schools in the Iron County School District, officials said in a letter sent to parents.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox offered condolences in a tweet Wednesday night.