September 10, 2022 - 12:17 PM
ELK MILLS, Md. (AP) — Two parents and their three children were found fatally shot at a Maryland home, authorities said Saturday.
Autopsies confirmed that all five family members died from gunshot wounds, the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. An unnamed man had called 911 on Friday morning from the Elk Mills home to report that a woman and three children had been shot and were dead, the sheriff's office said.
The parents were identified as Marcus Edward Milligan, 39, and Tara Devina Ricker Milligan, 37. Their two daughters and son were identified as Teresa Milligan, 14; Nora Milligan, 11; and Finn Milligan, 8. An earlier news release didn't specify that the two adults found in the home were the children's parents.
Investigators found a handgun near the father’s body, according to the sheriff's office.
The shooting remained under investigation on Saturday. A sheriff's office spokesman, Lt. Michael Holmes, declined to elaborate on the circumstances of the shooting.
“I can say there’s no threat to the public currently,” Holmes said.
The spokesman wouldn’t address whether they believe the deceased father is the same man who called 911 from the home.
The shooting occurred on a cul-de-sac in an area of residential streets interspersed with wooded areas about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northeast of Baltimore and a few miles west of the Delaware state line.
“It’s a horrific day, and I know everybody’s prayers are appreciated," Sheriff Scott Adams said on Friday. “My phone hasn’t stopped ringing from people concerned about this and upset about this.”
The sheriff didn't provide a possible motive for the shooting. He said that his office has no records of deputies responding to calls at the house.
News from © The Associated Press, 2022