Police in Maryland have launched an investigation after five people were found dead in a home in La Plata.
The shocking discovery was made on Friday (4 November) in the 3000 block of Wildflower Drive in La Plata; a street of single family houses located about 30 miles south of Washington, D.C.
La Plata police and Charles County Sheriff's Office arrived at the scene after receiving a call to report a shooting at around 4pm local time.
Officers entered the home to discover multiple victims, all of who appear to be adults.
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Janelle Love, a spokeswoman for the county sheriff’s office, said it was not immediately clear how the five deceased people may be related.
Investigators are working to identify the victims, but have determined that the homeowner is not among the five people who lost their lives.
Police contacted him to inform him of the bodies found inside his home, and have confirmed he is cooperating with the authorities.
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Neighbours in the area told ABC 7News the home is typically occupied by a family of four, while a resident cited by The Washington Post described the street as a quiet one, where 'nothing ever happens'.
Commenting on the deaths, Chief Carl Schinner of the La Plata Police Department said: "It's not something you would think of...you don't think it's going to happen anywhere."
Multiple responders arrived at the scene following news of the deaths, with footage showing numerous cars blocking the road around the property.
Charles County Sheriff's Office addressed the situation in a statement on Twitter, writing: "Police activity in 3000 block of Wildflower Drive in La Plata. Report of a shooting inside a residence.
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"Scene is contained. More details to follow when available. PIO is en route and will advise a media staging area shortly."
In the thread, which was posted just after 8pm local time, the sheriff's office added: "At this this time, the incident appears to be isolated to the residence. Additional details will be released when they become available."
Diane Richardson, another spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, said an autopsy would determine the cause of deaths and explained that while the scene initially appeared to be isolated to the house, police cannot yet rule out other possibilities.
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There has so far been no reports about possible suspects. A spokesperson for the sheriff's office said the initial report about the shooting came in from a witness.
Emily Brown