Family of five found dead after shootings, house fire in northwest Phoenix

PHOENIX — A family of five, including a 6-year-old, has died after multiple shootings and a house fire early Tuesday morning in northwest Phoenix.

Police swarmed a portion of 47th Avenue between Cactus Road and Peoria Avenue after a young woman inside the house had called 911 and told the dispatcher that her brother, 26-year-old Alex Arthur Buckner, had shot someone.

Buckner, who had fired at officers trying to reach the family inside the burning home, was among the dead. He also had set the home on fire.

Police later identified the victims as 50-year-old Vic Buckner, 49-year-old Kimberly Buckner, 18-year-old Kaitlin Buckner and 6-year-old Emma Buckner.

Emma and Kaitlin — who made the call — were rushed to the hospital, where they died. Emma clung to life for a handful of hours after the shooting.

Incredible number of em vehicles of all kinds on scene throughout the neighborhood at 48th Avenue south of Cactus pic.twitter.com/MOF1WD1d9E

— Detour Dan (@DetourDanKTAR) February 23, 2016

#NOW: Firefighters working to contain house fire at 47th Ave/Cactus, flames just shot through the roof. pic.twitter.com/MpA7sDq1Ph

— FOX 10 Phoenix (@FOX10Phoenix) February 23, 2016

Police officers had dressed in firefighter gear so they could get inside the house to search for the family.

Alex had no known mental health issues or criminal history, police said.

Tiffany Taylor, who lives down the block, said emergency lights and sirens woke her up at 4:30 a.m.

She went outside, heard two popping noises, saw 15 police vehicles speed toward the house, heard more popping and smelled smoke, she said. An officer told her to go back inside.

Taylor said a woman who lived in the home was friendly and they chatted when they ran into each other.

“Every single time we walked by, she spoke to us,” said Taylor, who didn’t recall the woman’s name.

Taylor said the woman had a daughter who dressed as an angel last Halloween.

“She was wearing all white. I told her how beautiful she was,” she said.

(Phoenix Fire Department Photo)

Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the single house.

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