8 family members, including 6 children, found dead after 'suspicious' Michigan house fire

GRAND HAVEN TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN: Eight people, including six children, were found dead inside a Michigan home after a suspicious fire on Friday, July 24, with investigators saying some of the victims had gunshot wounds as they work to determine what led to the tragedy.

Authorities responded to reports of a house fire shortly before noon in Grand Haven Township, located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.

Police not looking for any outside suspects 

Capt Jacob Sparks of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office said investigators are still working to identify all of the victims and have not yet determined an official cause of death for each person.

According to Sparks, the six children who died ranged in age from five to 15 years old. He did not specify how many of the victims had suffered gunshot wounds.

Speaking during an evening news conference, Sparks described the investigation as a challenging one.

"It's a complicated scene, a complex scene," he said, adding that investigators are not looking for any outside suspects at this stage.

Authorities believe everyone who lived in the home died in the incident, though they are still working to determine exactly what happened.

Fire believed to have been intentionally set

Investigators also believe the fire itself was "suspicious."

Sparks said there was reason to think the blaze had been intentionally set, prompting the involvement of Michigan State Police arson investigators, who are assisting with the investigation. According to the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office, the extent of the fire appears minimal. 

Officials have not released additional details about the sequence of events or said whether the victims died before or after the fire started.