Smoke Wafted From the Home. Cops Found a 'Complex' Scene

Firefighters called to check out reports of smoke in a lakeside Michigan community ended the day confronting an unexpectedly deadly scene. Authorities say that eight people were found dead inside a Grand Haven Township home on Friday, including six children believed to be between 5 and 15 years old, per ABC News. Two adults were also among the dead, and all are thought to be members of the same family, per Capt. Jake Sparks of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. Sparks said some victims had gunshot wounds, but the number of people shot and the precise causes of death remain unclear.

"It's a complicated scene, a complex scene," Sparks noted, per the AP. Autopsies are set to be completed over the weekend, reports ABC. Investigators are exploring whether the blaze was deliberately set and whether the case could be a murder-suicide, though Sparks emphasized it's early and that officials don't currently believe anyone outside the home was involved. Fire crews first checked the area in the morning after residents reported smelling smoke but found nothing; they returned hours later after callers reported white smoke coming from the house. State police arson investigators are assisting in determining where and how the fire started. "No matter how you slice it, it's a tragic event," Sparks said, per the Detroit News.