Australian police find up to five bodies, including children, in house in Perth
Gruesome discovery came after a man in his 20s turned himself in at a police station
The bodies of up to five people, including children, were found in a Western Australia home by police on Sunday.
Investigators went to the house on Coode Street in Bedford, suburban Perth after a man in his 20s presented himself to a regional police station.
Officers “discovered the deceased bodies of several people including children”, police said in a statement.
Investigators did not confirm the number of victims, but said it was “believed to be up to five people”.
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The ages and gender of those found were also not revealed.
“The man is currently in custody and assisting police with their inquiries. There are no ongoing concerns for public safety as a result of this incident,” police said.
It was not known how the victims died or their connection with the man in custody.
Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Steel told reporters the “meticulous” investigation of the crime scene was still in a “very early stage” and “could take a number of days”.
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“It is tragic not only for the family and the friends, it is also tragic for those first responders who are forced to attend such scenes,” he said. “It does send a ripple through the community of Western Australia. We are three hours into this investigation. I have no further detail in relation to those who are present at the location.”
The deaths came three months after a father shot dead his teenage son and daughter at their home in Sydney before turning the gun on himself.
It also follows the deaths of seven people, also in Western Australia, when a grandfather shot dead his wife, daughter and her four children in a mass murder-suicide in May.
Agence France-Presse, The Guardian