Michigan: 8 members of a family are dead, suspected of killing 6 children

The captain of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, Jake Sparks, named the event a highly complex “ “, stressing that the investigations are still in the initial phase, reports ABC News.

The event took place on Friday at Grand Haven Township, an area off the coast of Lake Michigan, west of Grand Rapids.

According to authorities, firefighters were first called in the morning after the smoke wind reporting, but failed to locate the source of the fire. Hours later, after reports of white smoke coming out of a flat, teams returned to the scene and entered the house to quench the flames. During the intervention, they discovered the lifeless bodies of eight persons.

Among the victims are six children between the ages of 5 and 15 and two adults. Authorities believe all victims are members of the same family, while their full identification is not yet complete.

Investigators have confirmed that some of the victims had gunshot wounds, but it has not yet been determined how many people have been shot. The precise causes of death are expected to be clarified after autopsies.

Authorities are investigating the possibility of the fire being deliberately deployed and of a possible murder case.