Three members of the same family, including a 10-year-old boy, have been found dead with apparent gunshot wounds inside a burning home in Maywood, California.
Firefighters and deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were called to the two-storey property in the 5000 block of East 61st Street at about 2.25am on Saturday, September 5.
Smoke was seen coming from the building. After the fire had been extinguished, emergency crews searched the house and discovered the bodies of a man and woman in their late 40s and a boy aged about 10 in a bedroom.
All three were pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said the adults were married and were the boy’s biological parents.
Investigation into Maywood family deaths
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the circumstances appeared to indicate domestic violence. A handgun was recovered from the bedroom, although authorities have not said who fired it.
Detectives are also investigating how the fire began and whether it was deliberately started. The sequence of events leading to the shooting and the blaze remains unclear, and the identities of the victims have not been released.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner is expected to carry out examinations to confirm the causes of death and formally identify the family members. Authorities said there was no continuing threat to the wider community.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau on 323-890-5500. Anonymous information can be provided to Crime Stoppers on 800-222-TIPS (8477).
