5 dead inside Phoenix home; police classify case as homicide

PHOENIX (AP) — Five family members were found dead Wednesday inside their Phoenix home in what authorities were classifying as a homicide case.

Police said the two adults and three children had obvious signs of trauma and that investigators were not searching for a suspect in the deaths.

The names and ages of the five people weren’t immediately released.

A 911 call led to police, city firefighters and hazardous materials teams being dispatched to the home around 8 a.m. Wednesday about a possible gas leak. Authorities said the presence of gas was detected at the home.

Television station video from the scene showed a propane tank in a large taped-off area around the house and multiple emergency response vehicles in the neighborhood.

Police officers didn’t go inside the home for several hours over safety concerns, but reported finding the five bodies after the house was secured around noon.

“This is an extremely tragic situation for everyone involved,” police spokesperson Sgt. Melissa Soliz told reporters outside the home.