At least seven people were shot in "execution-style killings" in three homes along a rural road in Ohio, law enforcement officials said on Friday.
Five adults and two children, possibly all from the same family, were killed on Union Hill Road in Pike County, about 70 miles east of Cincinnati.
An eighth body was discovered nearby, the Ohio Attorney General's office said, but it was not immediately known if the eighth victim was related to the others.
Police arrived on the scene shortly after 8:30 a.m. local time.
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader said in a joint statement that while no arrests have been made in the killings, "this is not an active shooter situation."
“The investigation is in its very early stages, and authorities are still investigating to determine a motive, identify the deceased, and determine if the gunman is among the deceased individuals or on the loose," the statement read, according to WHIO.
"Reports we are receiving from Peebles are tragic beyond comprehension," Ohio governor John Kasich and 2016 Republican presidential candidate said on Twitter. "We'll continue to monitor this closely and the state will work w/ local law enforcement however we can."
The Chillicothe Gazette newspaper showed a picture of three ambulances lined up along a wooded and rural road. It said there were multiple crime scenes, citing a sheriff's office.
Sheriff's offices did not respond to requests to comment.