UPDATE | 8 relatives shot in head in Ohio; killer thought to be loose

PIKETON, Ohio (AP) — Eight members of the same family were shot to death in the head today at four locations in rural southern Ohio, authorities said. They warned surviving relatives and residents to be careful and said the killer should be considered armed and dangerous.

Three children, ages 4 days to 3 years, survived the grisly killings that left seven adults and a 16-year-old boy dead, said Attorney General Mike DeWine and Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader at an afternoon news conference.

Authorities said preliminary information indicates that none of the eight victims was a victim of suicide. DeWine said it's possible more than one person was involved in the slayings.

Some of the victims were in bed, indicating they were shot while they were sleeping, authorities said. The victims were identified as members of the Rhoden family.

"It's heartbreaking," DeWine said. "The one mom was killed in her bed with the 4-day-old right there."

A motive isn't clear, authorities said.

A dozen Bureau of Criminal Investigation agents were called Friday morning to Pike County, an economically struggling area in the Appalachian region some 80 miles east of Cincinnati.