A family of five, including three children ranging in age from 4 to 12 years old, were found shot to death Sunday inside a southern Maine apartment, authorities said. Investigators said a gun was found near one of the bodies and it appeared someone in the family was responsible for the shootings. A state police spokesman said causes of death would be determined by the state medical examiner.
Authorities did not release the names of the family but said the parents were in their 30 and the children were ages 4, 7 and 12. Neighbors Heather and Dellas Mason stopped to place flowers on the ground outside the apartment building, which was surrounded by crime scene tape. Their father was a maintenance worker for the complex who was friendly and outgoing, neighbors said.
Investigators said a family friend had contacted a worker at the apartment complex worried about the well-being of the family. The worker entered the apartment and discovered one body, then immediately called police. Saco police found the bodies in three different rooms. State and local police, along with the medical examiner, were at the scene Sunday night. Officials said autopsies are scheduled for Monday.
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— The Associated Press