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Utah Home Finds 8 Dead, Including 5 Children
(CTN NEWS) – SALT LAKE CITY – According to authorities who did not provide details or a motive, five children and eight adults were found dead from gunshot wounds in a southern Utah home Wednesday.
According to city officials in Enoch, a small town of about 8,000 people located 245 miles (394 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City, the victims were found during a welfare check at the residence.
There was no threat to the public, according to the police.
Our hearts go out to all those affected by this senseless violence. Please keep the community of Enoch in your prayers. https://t.co/mCjejDhYGf
— Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox (@GovCox) January 5, 2023
According to Rob Dotson, the Enoch community was stunned by the news of the eight bodies and that the deceased – all members of one family – were well known.
A law enforcement official stands near the front door of the Enoch, Utah, home where eight family members were found dead from gunshot wounds, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. (Ben B. Braun/The Deseret News via AP)
In a video statement Wednesday night, Dotson said, “Many of us have served with these individuals in church, in the community, and in school.”
The community is suffering at this time. They’re feeling pain, they’re feeling loss, and they have a lot of questions, Dotson explained. He added that more information will be released as it becomes available and the police investigation continues.
“We can’t know the mindsets, the thoughts of those who experienced this tragedy, but we can all pray that their families, their neighbors and all of us will come to an understanding of what happened here, probably within a day or two,” said Dotson, choking up.
Law enforcement officials stand near the Enoch, Utah, home where eight family members were found dead from gunshot wounds, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. (Ben B. Braun/The Deseret News via AP)
A welfare check based on a police call like the one that led them to the residence where the bodies were found is routine when individuals are not seen for prolonged periods of time, Dotson said.
According to a letter to parents, the five children attended schools in the Iron County School District.
A law enforcement officer stands stands near the Enoch, Utah, home where eight family members were found dead from gunshot wounds, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. (Ben B. Braun/The Deseret News via AP)
In 2021, flooding caused damage to hundreds of homes in the rural Utah community of Enoch, just north of Cedar City and about 80 miles (128 kilometers) west of Bryce Canyon National Park.
In a tweet posted Wednesday night, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox expressed his condolences.
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