Inside, police found three people who were shot: a woman in her thirties, a girl in her early teens and a boy between 8 and 12 years old.
The woman and the girl were pronounced dead at the scene, and the boy was taken to Regions Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
“It’s a sad story,” said Xeng Xiong, who lives across the street. “It’s my neighbors, it’s my neighborhood. I live nearby. This is not a good sign. It’s sad for the family. ”
The homicide unit has been notified, and forensic services are also investigating.
Police are trying to determine if the victims were related.
They did not comment on whether a weapon was recovered.
It is unknown if other people were in the house during the shooting.
“Unfortunately, these types of calls are difficult,” Ernster said. “Especially this one is difficult for a few reasons. It’s difficult because children are dead. It’s also difficult because one of our officers was here an hour before this call.”
Ernster explains that at the request of a concerned Tennessee family member, a police officer was called home for a welfare examination. But the woman said she was OK and did not want to call her family with the officer’s phone.
“He did talk to her and explain why he was there,” says Ernster. “She looks at him and says, ‘I’m fine. Tell them I’m fine. ‘
Police say they have been to a similar welfare check at home once.
“They were just worried about her well-being that she would be in danger, the kind of calls,” Ernster said. “It was possibly a domestic situation.”
Earlier in the evening, one neighbor expressed concern about security in the area.
“I hear gunshots every night,” Nicholas Bakke said. ‘The school is coming in a few days. We are about to bring our kids on the bus, and it’s an uncomfortable feeling to be in an environment where such things are going on. Terrible. ”
Bakke says many residents have set up a telephone tree to keep in touch in case of problems.
“We have everyone’s numbers to keep it safe.” he said.
Ernster says investigators are also trying to determine if it was a domestic or foreign crime.
The medical examiner is expected to positively identify the victims and determine exact causes of death within the next few days, police said.