8 Dead In Shootings In Several Homes In Ohio

PIKETON, Ohio (CBSNewYork/AP) -- At least eight people, including two children, have been slain in "execution-style" killings at homes along a rural road, but no arrests have been made and it's unclear whether the killer or killers were among the dead, authorities said Friday.

Attorney General Mike DeWine and Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader said all the victims are believed to be members of the same family. All were shot to death, they said.

As CBS2's Lou Young reported, the crime scenes are houses in the Piketon area.

There is not an active shooter and no arrests have been made, they said. Authorities are trying to determine a motive, identify the deceased and determine if the killer or killers are among the deceased individuals or on the loose.

DeWine and Reader said in a statement that the slayings appear to be "execution-style."

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.

TV reports from the scene said a staging area has been set up with ambulances and fire personnel.

Gov. John Kasich, campaigning in Pennsylvania for his Republican presidential bid, said his office was monitoring the situation in Pike County.

"Reports we are receiving from Peebles are tragic beyond comprehension," Kasich wrote on his Twitter account.

The FBI in Cincinnati also said it was closely monitoring the situation and has offered assistance to the Pike County sheriff's office if needed.

Peebles High School imposed a precautionary lockout Friday morning after authorities notified the superintendent of shootings that had occurred a few miles away, according to Regina Bennington, secretary to the superintendent for the Adams County Ohio Valley Schools district.

High school officials said the school was back to normal operations later Friday morning.

Three other children, ages 4 days to three years, all reportedly survived the shooting.

Piketon is the site of a Cold War-era uranium plant that was closed in 2001 and is still being cleaned up.

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