A murder-suicide has left six people dead, including three children.
According to the New York Post, the incident took place in Sequatchie, Tennessee, on Thursday night. This is being described by outlets as a rural part of the state that is located to the west of Chattanooga.
Local police officers arrived at the residence after they received reports of multiple gunshots. When they got there, the house was on fire.
But, that was only a small part of the problem.
Emergency personnel proceeded to put out the fire. And, after they did so, they discovered six deceased individuals inside of the residence.
Marion County Sheriff Bo Burnett has revealed that at least two of the deceased individuals appear to have died from smoke inhalation from the fire.
But, Burnett also suggested that at least some of the victims were shot - although he did not provide any specifics, such as how many were shot.
In addition to the six deceased individuals, authorities also found, inside the residence, one individual who had been shot but who was still alive.
This individual - who has yet to be identified - was taken to the hospital. It is unclear both what condition this individual is in and whether or not this individual is expected to survive.
There is currently an ongoing investigation into the incident. Not many specifics have been revealed by authorities. But, Burnett has suggested that it was a "domestic situation."
"It’s a domestic situation, evidently that has been ongoing for a pretty good while," he said.
The names and ages of those killed have not been released by the police. But, it is being reported that three children as well as the children's mother and grandmother were among the dead.
It is also being reported that the owner of the Sequatchie home was Gary Don Barnett, that Barnett was among the deceased individuals found in the residence, and that Barnett is the investigator's chief suspect in the matter. As of yet, though, very little has been confirmed.
Burnett, speaking with local media, described this incident as one of the worse things that he has seen during his career. He said:
This is one of the worst things I’ve seen. You hear about these things, but this is one of the worst I’ve been involved in all my career as a law enforcement officer.
