LAKELAND, Fla — Lakeland police are investigating a suspected double murder-suicide that happened Tuesday evening.
Around 5:30 p.m., someone called 911 after hearing gunshots. Lakeland Police Department Captain Ed Cain said it took officers just a few minutes to respond to the home on Atlanta Avenue near Glendale Street.
Three adults were found dead from gunshot wounds, Cain said. Four children were removed from the home.
"I felt so bad because the thing is, for the rest of their lives, this is what Christmas will mean to them," neighbor Mary LeRoy said.
They were taken to the police department, where Cain said they'll be in safe hands.
"It's a very tragic situation on Christmas Eve that's going to impact a lot of families and also, no doubt, having an impact on the officers who are here to investigate the incident," Cain said.
The relationships between the adults killed and the children are not yet known.
There is no risk to the community following the shooting, Cain added.
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