Bodies of 5 children, 3 adults with gunshot wounds found in Utah

A welfare check on a family in Enoch, Utah, Wednesday led police to discover the bodies of eight dead family members having gunshot wounds.

Authorities did not provide further details, such as names of the deceased or possible motives for the killings. 

“At this time, we do not believe there is a threat to the public or that there are any suspects at large,” Enoch officials said in a statement regarding the town of 8,000, about 245 miles south of Salt Lake City.

The victims were discovered by police during a welfare check at their residence, according to the officials’ statement.

The community is reeling from the loss of the family, unidentified publicly.

“Many of us have served with them in church, in the community and gone to school with these individuals. This community at this time is hurting. They’re feeling loss, they’re feeling pain and they have a lot of questions,” Enoch City Manager Rob Dotson said in a video message, according to the Associated Press.

The Iron County School District, which the five children attended, sent out a letter to families about the deaths.

“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. … Our district has a Crisis Intervention Team made up of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents and school personnel,” school officials wrote.

Community members would not directly name the family, but told KSL-TV, a Salt Lake City NBC affiliate, the family was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the father was an insurance agent. The wife of the household recently filed for divorce, according to court records.

Family friend Tina Brown noted the family was well-known to many in the community.

“They were always involved in the community. … These kids were known by a lot of people. They had a lot of peers, and kids in our area are close; they grow up in close-knit groups,” Ms. Brown told KSTU-TV, a Salt Lake City Fox affiliate.

Authorities were investigating the incident.