Murder-Suicide Near Douglas, Georgia Kills Five Family Members

Five people are dead after an apparent murder-suicide at a rural home on the outskirts of Douglas, GA. Police say the victims were adult family members of the shooter.

Five Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide at Rural Georgia Home

Five people are dead following an apparent murder-suicide at a family home on the outskirts of Douglas, Georgia, ABC News US reports. The incident occurred late Friday night, with four adult family members killed before the shooter died by suicide.

Douglas Police Chief Brannen Pruette confirmed the details at a Saturday news conference. "Investigators believe this was an apparent murder-suicide involving immediate family members who reside in the home," Pruette said.

Officers were dispatched shortly after 11 p.m. following an emergency call made by one of the victims. Upon arrival, they found a woman alive at the scene. She was transported to a nearby hospital but was later pronounced dead, bringing the total death toll to five.

Earlier that same day, police said the woman had placed a separate emergency call summoning officers to the residence. "It's my understanding the call was placed by the wife, the female victim. She called, and was complaining about the husband who was in the house smoking and she said he was killing her with the smoke," Pruette said.

Douglas is a small city located roughly 200 miles southeast of Atlanta. Douglas Police have not responded to requests for further information.

The shooting comes one week after two people were killed and 35 injured in a separate shooting during a block party in Vienna, another small Georgia city approximately one hour north of Douglas. That incident occurred at an event celebrating a high-school football game.

Source: ABC News US