Town shaken after 4 die in murder-suicide in northeast North Dakota

TOWNER COUNTY, N.D. — Residents in a rural northeast North Dakota are shaken after a murder-suicide at a close-by farm left 4 folks useless on Monday, Aug. 29.

Towner County Sheriff Andy Hillier mentioned his division has by no means needed to take care of something like this earlier than.

“That is the primary,” mentioned Hillier, who has been with the sheriff’s workplace since 2004.

The capturing occurred on a farm west of Maza, North Dakota, on Monday, Aug. 29.

Deputies have been dispatched round 6 p.m. Monday to a wheat area on the 6100 block of 66th Road Northeast for a report of 4 unresponsive people. Upon arrival, authorities discovered 4 our bodies with gunshot wounds, the division mentioned in a information launch Tuesday.

The discharge mentioned proof from the scene signifies the incident was a murder-suicide. A firearm was positioned within the possession of one of many our bodies. Hillier informed Discussion board Information Service that it’s believed the 4 labored collectively.

Names of these concerned are being withheld, pending notification of subsequent of kin. The investigation is ongoing and extra data might be launched at a later time, the discharge mentioned.

The motive behind the capturing continues to be underneath investigation, Hillier mentioned.

Farm tools — some with bullet holes — remained on the scene throughout the day, however Hillier mentioned all proof has been processed and it will be as much as the household to determine what to do with the tools subsequent.

“It’s a really giant scene,” he mentioned.

A number of residents didn’t wish to go on the document in regards to the incident as they’re nonetheless wrapping their minds round it, however mentioned their ideas and prayers exit to the family members of these concerned. Native farmers are coming collectively to assist harvest the fields owned by these concerned within the incident.

The North Dakota Bureau of Felony Investigation and different native legislation enforcement companies assisted deputies from Towner County within the investigation. There is no such thing as a recognized menace to the general public, Hillier mentioned.

Maza, North Dakota, was a tiny city in southwest Towner County, simply northwest of Devils Lake. In accordance with Grand Forks Herald archives, the city was dissolved in 2002 when its inhabitants was 5.

Different close by cities embody Cando to the north, in addition to Niles and Leeds to the southwest. It is simply northwest of Devils Lake, and about 117 miles west-northwest of Grand Forks.