All five individuals are believed to be related, officials said.
Five women and girls were found dead in a home in rural Arkansas, in what the police believe to be a multiple homicide on Christmas night.
Police appeared on the scene Friday night after a family member visited the home in Atkins, Arkansas, and found the five bodies, according to Pope’s county sheriff’s office.
Although they have not identified a suspect, they do not believe anyone is on the loose. The suspect is believed to be among the dead, the pope’s county sheriff, Shane Jones, told a news conference on Saturday afternoon.
The victims, believed to be relatives, included three children and two adults between the ages of 8 and 50.
Authorities said the individuals were shot, Jones said. They have not been identified.
“It’s rare anywhere,” said Jones of the case. “We just need to pray for a family that has just been devastated.”
The sheriff’s office is still investigating the motive for the murders.
“At the moment, we believe this to be an isolated incident and we do not feel that there is any continuing danger to the local public,” the Pope’s county sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The Arkansas State Police and the Arkansas State Criminal Laboratory are involved in the ongoing investigation.
Atkins is located about an hour northwest of Little Rock.