Five members of a Utah family were found shot to death in their home on Tuesday, and a sixth — a 17-year-old boy — was wounded and hospitalized.
West Valley City Police spokesperson Roxeanne Vainuku said that police had initially been called to the home on Sunday by another family member for a welfare check but found no reason to break in, so they left after peeking in windows and talking to neighbors, the Gephardt Daily reported.
“Today, the woman who lives inside this home did not show up for work, so that same family member did come back to the house and actually entered the garage of the home,” Vainuku said.
A family member contacted us 12/16 with concerns they had not heard from the woman who lives in the home.
The family member came by the house over the few days prior and had not reached the woman.
We responded to the house and tried to make contact. but no one answered. 1/5— WVC Police (@WVCPD) December 18, 2024
“Inside the garage, she found one of the family members who lives here, a 17-year-old male, and he appeared injured. So the family member called us again and we came out. When we got here, we found the 17-year-old male, alive in the garage, with what appeared to be a gunshot wound.”
Using that as a reason to enter the home, police found a 42-year-old man, a 38-year-old woman, and three younger children — an 11-year-old boy and 9- and 2-year-old girls — dead from gunshot wounds.
No names have been released.
Vainuku said there were no outstanding suspects in the case but would not say if the teen was a victim or a killer. She said the teen had significant injuries and communicating with him at this point was difficult, according to KSTU.
