PIKETON, Ohio — Eight members of the same family were shot to death in the head Friday at four locations in rural southern Ohio, authorities said. They warned surviving relatives and residents to be careful and said the killer should be considered armed and dangerous.
Three children, ages 4 days to 3 years, survived the grisly killings that left seven adults and a 16-year-old boy dead, said Attorney General Mike DeWine and Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader at an afternoon news conference.
Authorities said preliminary information indicates that none of the eight victims was a victim of suicide. DeWine said it's possible more than one person was involved in the slayings.
Some of the victims were in bed, indicating they were shot while they were sleeping, authorities said. The victims were identified as members of the Rhoden family.
"It's heartbreaking," DeWine said. "The one mom was killed in her bed with the 4-day-old right there."
A motive isn't clear, authorities said.
A dozen Bureau of Criminal Investigation agents were called Friday morning to Pike County, an area in the Appalachian region some 80 miles east of Cincinnati.
Gov. John Kasich, campaigning in Pennsylvania for his Republican presidential bid, said his office was monitoring the situation in Pike County.
"Reports we are receiving from Peebles are tragic beyond comprehension," Kasich wrote on his Twitter account.
The FBI in Cincinnati also said it was closely monitoring the situation and has offered assistance to the Pike County sheriff's office if needed.
Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.