Authorities on Friday were investigating the deaths of four people in Stone County who appeared to have been shot.
County authorities requested that the Arkansas State Police criminal investigation division investigate the four deaths, according to a news release issued Friday from state police.
Deputies contacted state police Thursday requesting special agents be sent to 646 Northcutt Road, off Arkansas 5, according to the release.
At around 2 p.m., a woman and her son, 77-year-old Shirley Watters and 55-year-old James Watters, both residents of the home, were found dead by a family member, state police said.
About eight hours later, agents were called to another crime scene, located at 5474 Arkansas 5, according to the release. William Clinton Trammell, 75, and his wife, Sharon, 72, were discovered dead inside their home from apparent gunshot wounds, state police said.
The two homes are located about a quarter of a mile apart, the release states.
Stone County Coroner Joseph Blake said his preliminary investigations determined all four people were wounded by gunfire.
Late Thursday, the Stone County sheriff’s office advised local residents in a Facebook post to stay inside and lock their doors. In a separate post late Friday morning, the sheriff's office said there was no imminent "threat of an active shooter."
State police spokesman Bill Sadler said Friday that residents are encouraged to go about their daily routine, though he advised that residents should contact the sheriff’s office if they notice anything out of the ordinary.
The bodies in each case have been sent to the state Crime Laboratory, where the medical examiner will confirm the cause and manner and approximate time of death, according to authorities.
State police are investigating the cases independently and have not found conclusive evidence to confirm whether the cases might be related, according to the release. Blake, the coroner, also said he could not say whether the cases were related.
Blake began his term as coroner in 2019. In that time, he said, “I’ve never seen anything like this, as far as homicides so close together.”
No arrest in connection with the homicides has been made at this time, according to Sadler.
The investigation is ongoing.