Homicide investigated after family of 5 dead at site of Phoenix hazmat incident

PHOENIX – A family of five was found dead in a Phoenix home Wednesday morning in what police called a homicide at the scene of a hazmat situation.

Two adults and three children were killed at the house near Seventh and Northern avenues, and there were no outstanding suspects in the case, the Phoenix Police Department said.

Police didn’t give a cause of death or say who was responsible for the killings during an afternoon press briefing other than to say the victims had obvious signs of trauma.

After initially responding to the scene just after 8 a.m. along with fire department hazardous materials teams, police didn’t go inside the house until after noon because a strong odor of gas was present.

The house where the victims were found is on a corner lot in a residential area. Homes on either side were evacuated and natural gas lines were turned off during the initial response.

Around noon, Southwest Gas said no leaks were detected.

“Southwest Gas crews have thoroughly inspected all natural gas infrastructure from the meter on the property to the street and surrounding area for gas leaks. No leaks were found. All Southwest Gas infrastructure serving the community is operating without issue,” the company said in a statement.

Television station video from the scene showed a propane tank in a large taped-off area around the house and multiple emergency response vehicles in the neighborhood.

“This is an extremely tragic situation for everyone involved,” police spokesperson Sgt. Melissa Soliz told reporters outside the home.

No other information was made available and the investigation is ongoing.

The Associate Press contributed to this report.

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