A 67-year-old male, a 51-year-old female and a toddler were found dead inside the home with apparent gunshot wounds, local police said

NEED TO KNOW

• Three people were found dead inside a home in Ohio in the early hours of Wednesday, Oct. 21
• The Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office said the 911 dispatch center received a call that was “almost immediately disconnected,” and after making calls back, heard someone appear to say “help”
• After discovering where the phone call may have been coming from, they found a 67-year-old male, a 51-year-old female and a 22-month-old boy dead inside a home with apparent gunshot wounds

Three people, including a 22-month-old boy, were found dead with apparent gunshot wounds inside a home in Ohio, police have said. 

The Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office said the 911 dispatch center received a “hang-up call” at around 4:17 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Oct. 21, that was “almost immediately disconnected,” according to a press release shared on Facebook. Authorities said the call did not plot a location due to it being disconnected so quickly.

After dispatchers made several calls back, in one of the calls they believe a voice “softly” said the word “help,” prompting them to further trace the call.

They eventually learned that the phone may be located at 223 N. Cherry Street in the village of Gnadenhutten.

Police found a family member who unlocked the door and officials found three deceased people located inside — a 67-year-old male, a 51-year-old female and a 22-month-old boy. 

All of them appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds, and a gun was found at the scene, the release said.

Tuscarawas County Coroner, Dr. Jeff Cameron, took custody of the bodies and ordered autopsies to determine the manner and their causes of death.

The owner of the phone indicated to police that it was a spare phone he had loaned to an associate, the release added.

“There are many people to interview and much to do with evidence from the scene, but I feel strongly that the community is in no danger,” Sheriff Orvis L. Campbell said in the statement. 

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“We will provide additional information once we are confident that we have gathered and verified all the necessary facts,” Campbell added. “We would also like to thank Arrowhead Joint Fire District for their assistance on scene.”

Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Detectives said they were investigating the case alongside the Gnadenhutten Police Department and the Tuscarawas County Coroner’s Office. 

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