Family members conducting a welfare check found four adults and three children dead in a Minnesota home on Sunday, according to authorities.
The Moorhead Police Department released a statement indicating that they responded to the incident, which took place at the 44oo block of 13 Street South, at approximately 7:50 P.M. The family members called 911, and first responders confirmed the death of several individuals, according to the statement.
The Moorhead Police Department is investigating the deaths. The Department says there were no signs of violent or forced entry, nor is there any threat to the public. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office helped with the incident and filled in for service calls in Moorhead while officers responded to the deaths, the statement says.
Victims were taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the causes of death, according to the Star Tribune.
“This is an absolute tragedy, made even more poignant since it is close to the holidays. My heart aches for the family and friends who received this devastating news over the weekend,” Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson told the Star Tribune. (RELATED: Teenagers Survive Deadly Fire By Sliding Down Pole On Outside Of Building)
The Moorhead Area School District released a statement Sunday revealing that three victims attended S.G. Reinertsen Elementary School and Moorhead High School, according to Star Tribune. The district is organizing a crisis team to offer grief counselors before winter break.
“It is a difficult time for our school family and our deepest condolences are with the extended family,” spokeswoman Brenda Richman said in a statement, according to the Star Tribune.
Moorhead is on the border of North Dakota and the city of Fargo, and has a population of over 44,000 people, according to USA Today.