Police are investigating a multi-victim homicide after a family, including three children, were found dead inside a house in Utah.
An unidentified concerned family member called West Valley City Police on Monday night after they were unable to reach their female relative, according to police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku.
Police arrived at the house in a community about nine miles southwest of Salt Lake City, but when they initially found no obvious signs of a crime, they did not enter the home.
But when the woman in question didn’t show up for work on Tuesday, the family member went to the home and entered through the garage.
The relative discovered a 17-year-old boy injured from a gunshot wound and immediately called the police.
When officers entered the home they found the bodies of a 42-year-old man, a 38-year-old woman, an 11-year-old boy, a nine-year-old girl, and a 2-year-old girl, authorities said. The family was not identified by police.
The 17-year-old boy was taken to hospital and his condition is unknown.
“This is far beyond anything routine,” Vainuku said. “There were four [homicides] in this city for the entire year of 2024. This more than doubles that number. Absolutely horrific. This is something that certainly will weigh heavily on investigators in this case,” Vainuku said at a nighttime news conference.
Police believe the incident is “isolated to this house,” and do not believe a suspect is on the loose.
Because the 17-year-old male “is injured and he’s in the hospital, there are some challenges in communicating with him and finding out more information,” Vainuku said.
The investigation is ongoing.
