Five members of the same family, including a grandmother, mother and three children, were found dead on Christmas Day in a suspected murder-suicide in Atkins, Arkansas. The Pope County Sheriff's Office confirmed the deaths, describing the incident as isolated to the home.
Police were called to the scene shortly after 5pm on Friday. Sheriff Shane Jones said a family member had called the house and discovered the five bodies. Investigators believe some of the victims suffered gunshot wounds, but autopsies are pending.
While authorities have not officially released the victims' names, a GoFundMe page set up by family friend Melissa Renee Brown identifies them as members of the Heflin/Patrick family. Brown wrote: 'On Christmas Day, we received unimaginable news. Five of our precious relatives were found deceased in their home. A grandmother, mother, and three children, all taken from us.'
The fundraiser added: 'We can't fathom the pain or the cost of laying five of us to rest at once. We are devastated!' The suspect is believed to be among the deceased, but investigators have not specified who they believe carried out the shooting.
The community of Atkins, a small town in central Arkansas, has been left in shock. Sheriff Jones stated: 'We believe this to be an isolated incident between family members within the home.' The investigation is ongoing.
