Yet another horrific case of gun shooting has been reported in the US, indicating a gun culture in the country that continues to claim human lives. In the latest incident, eight people, including five children, were shot dead at a home in southern Utah on Wednesday.
According to officials, who did not provide details or a possible motive for the killings, the victims were found when police conducted welfare checks at the residence. The incident occurred in Enoch, a town of about 8,000 people located 245 miles (394 km) south of Salt Lake City. Police said they have not detected any threat to the public. Iron County School District officials said in a letter to parents that all five children attended schools in the district.
Enoch City Manager Rob Dotson said the community was shocked by the news of the eight bodies and that the deceased – all members of a family – were well known in the southern Utah city.
“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 is hurting right now. They are feeling loss, they are feeling pain and they have a lot of questions,” Dotson said, noting that officials plan to release more information as it becomes available and the police investigation progresses.
Dotson said welfare checks are done based on calls to the police department, which lead them to the residence where the bodies were found, when individuals have not been seen for an extended period of time.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox offered his condolences in a tweet on Wednesday night.
(with AP input)