Five family members killed in murder-suicide at Douglas, Georgia home

Five people were shot dead in an apparent murder-suicide at a residence in Douglas, Georgia on Friday. All victims were members of the same family, police say.

Murder-suicide in Douglas leaves five family members dead

Five people were shot and killed at a family home in Douglas, south Georgia, in what authorities are describing as an apparent murder-suicide, theguardian.com reports.

Officers were dispatched to the property on Friday following reports of an active shooter. One of the victims placed the initial emergency call. Responding officers found four adults dead inside the residence. A fifth person was taken to a nearby hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.

Douglas Police Chief Brannen Pruette confirmed the details at a press conference on Saturday. He said all of the deceased were family members who lived at the address. Pruette declined to name the individual who opened fire, citing the ongoing investigation.

Hours before the shooting, a female victim had contacted police to report that her husband was "killing her" with his smoking. Emergency services transported her to a local medical centre; she is believed to be among the dead.

City Manager Charlie Davis noted it was the second murder-suicide incident in the Douglas area within three months. "Domestic violence doesn't know race. It doesn't know religion. It doesn't know geographic location," Davis said. He called on residents to avoid speculation and to afford the family "space, dignity and compassion."

Pruette also issued a public appeal for restraint. "We recognise the profound impact this loss has on those closest to the victims in our community," he said. "We ask everyone to respect the privacy of the family and allow them the time and space they need to grieve."

Circumstances surrounding the sequence of events remain unclear. On the same day, a man in Pennsylvania fatally shot several family members before killing himself in a separate incident.

Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)