A mother was being questioned in the fatal stabbings of four of her children and their father, police in Gwinnett County, Georgia, said Thursday.
Another child was found with injuries, officials said. That girl’s condition was unknown.
All of the children discovered at the home near Loganville, about 30 miles east of Atlanta, appear to be under age 10, officials said. The male victim was in his mid-30s.
The call came in shortly before 5 a.m., Gwinnett County Police said.
“This is a horrendous crime not only for the victims but for the extended family, neighborhood and community,” police said. “We are hoping and praying that the remaining victim survives.”
Investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence and were interviewing neighbors.
A relative of the family, who asked not to be identified, told CNN that the family had recently returned from a vacation and the mother had been depressed over the death of her father.
Neighbor Rafael Ramirez said the mother had been “acting bizarre” and experience hallucinations since the death of her father about 20 days ago. She apparently had spoken to a pastor at a local church Thursday morning, according to Ramirez. The family has lived in the quiet community for three or four months, according to neighbor Jim Hollandsworth, who works at an after-school program the children had attended.
The family has relatives in the area, the neighbor said.