Detective: Five family members dead in an apparent murder-suicide

Culpeper, Va. • A family of five, including three children, was found shot to death inside their home in a quiet area of north-central Virginia, and authorities said Monday that they're investigating the case as a murder-suicide.

A family member discovered the bodies of the two adults, both 35, and three school-aged children Sunday night, Detective Angela Deavers with the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office said.

The shootings were apparently a murder-suicide, Deavers said. She said she did not have other details, and Virginia State Police would say only that it is assisting in the investigation.

The three-bedroom house sits on about an acre of land just outside the town limits of Culpeper, according to Culpeper County property records. Culpeper, a town of about 15,000 people is known for its quaint downtown and Civil War history.

"This is definitely a shock to the community, for sure," Culpeper Mayor Michael Olinger said. "Very seldom do we have a murder in Culpeper or any kind of activity such as this." He said he did not know the victims.