5 Shot Dead In Cecil Co. Home; Authorities Haven't IDed Victims

ELK MILLS, MD — The Cecil County Sheriff has not released the names of three children and two adults who were killed in a shooting Friday at an Elk Mills home.

Authorities said they are still trying to contact the next of kin of the man who is believed to have been the shooter.

The gunman called 911 after 9 a.m. to report that three children and a woman had been shot and were dead, the sheriff said in a statement.

At 9:19 a.m. Cecil County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the home on Hebron Court in Elk Mills. Deputies saw an unresponsive man inside the detached garage.

When officers entered the home they found four people dead, as well as the man in the detached garage. All of the dead appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds, the sheriff's statement said. A semi-automatic handgun was located near the dead man.

Sheriff’s office records show no history of emergency calls at the residence. No motive has been established for the shootings.

The community is in northeast Maryland near the Delaware border.

Cecil County Sheriff Scott A. Adams said at a news conference that the man called 911 to report the shootings, then hung up and did not answer when authorities called back.

Adams said the 911 caller from the scene appeared to be “catatonic” and compared the shooting to a murder-suicide in Cecil County in 2019.

“It’s a horrific day, and I know everybody’s prayers are appreciated,” Adams said, according to The Washington Post.

The sheriff said the children were in the fifth, seventh, and eighth grades and may have been home-schooled.

No other weapons were located inside the residence, Lt. Michael Holmes said, according to a WJZ report.

Four schools in the area were placed on Code Yellow, which is a heightened state of awareness, for a time Friday.

A reverse 911 call was put out in the immediate area to indicate that there was no threat to the public.

Cecil County Animal Services were contacted for pets inside the residence.

Due to the extensive crime scene, a Maryland State Police crime scene technician is assisting in the investigation.