Authorities in Minnesota found two dead children outside a home on Sunday morning in what police described as a possible hostage situation.
The suspect, an unidentified adult male, remained barricaded inside the home, though it was unclear how many other people were with him or if anyone else was injured, Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder told reporters.
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Elder said the incident appears to be a “hostage situation” that is “domestic related,” the Associated Press reported .
The children, whose ages were not known, were shot to death while they were playing in the snow outside a home south of central Minneapolis, Elder said.
“There’s no way someone can come up with a good explanation for this,” Elder said. “This is horrific. This is a tragedy. ”
Two officers who arrived shortly after 10 a.m. heard gunfire inside the home, Elder said, adding that the officers retrieved the children’s bodies without cover and “at their own peril.”
They were declared dead inside the officers’ squad car, Elder said.
Hostage negotiators were trying to speak to the suspect, Elder said, though it wasn’t clear if they made contact.
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