Family of 5 found shot to death in Maine, police say

Police in southern Maine were investigating the deaths of five family members who were found fatally shot in their apartment Sunday afternoon. 

Authorities said that the victims were a husband and wife in their mid-30s and three children; boys aged 12 and 7 years, as well as a 4-year-old girl. Maine State Police spokesman Sgt. Chris Harriman said the identities of the victims would likely be released later on Monday, after the victims' relatives have been notified. 

The Portland Press Herald reported that the family's neighbors in the town of Saco, approximately 10 miles south of Portland, heard a sound like "firecrackers" at approximately 11:30 p.m. Saturday. Another neighbor told the paper that she had seen the father drive away from the apartment Sunday morning before returning a short time later. 

A detective told the Associated Press that murder-suicide was among the scenarios being investigated. 

"All indications are that no one outside of the family was responsible for the deaths," Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland said late Sunday. "These are not accidental deaths."

"I still don't want to believe it," said Heather Nason, who used to babysit the three children. "I love those children like they were my own."

The grisly discovery was made after a family friend contacted an apartment complex worker to express concerns about the family's well-being, investigators said. The worker entered the apartment and discovered one body, then immediately called police.

Police said the bodies were found in three bedrooms. Police described the firearm found in the apartment as a long gun. Shell casings also were recovered.

Neighbors described the father as well known in the apartment complex along the Saco River because he was one of the maintenance workers.

They also described a friendly family whose children were part of a group of neighborhood kids who constantly rode their bikes or played tag and other games in a community that residents described as safe.

"The kids were great. They were just happy kids, and it's just a huge shock," said Nason, who with her husband Dellas placed flowers outside the apartment on Sunday. As for the parents, "they'd take the shirt off their back for you," she said.

The droves of children who usually circle the complex were all inside Sunday evening, replaced by concerned adults watching the police.

Down the street, Vin Savage watched with a stunned look on his face. "This is a tragedy," he said. "It's mind-boggling."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.