• A 15-year-old boy shot three of his siblings, ages 5, 8, and 17, before turning the gun on himself.
• The children’s parents were not at home when the incident occurred.
• Authorities are still looking into any potential motive behind the deadly incident.

According to state troopers, four children were killed in Alaska after a 15-year-old boy shot three of his siblings before killing himself.

Just before 4:20 p.m., Alaska State Troopers received a report of a shooting in the Skyridge Drive Subdivision, north of Fairbanks. KTUU, an NBC affiliate in Anchorage, Alaska, reported on Tuesday.

According to the affiliate, responding troopers discovered four children dead from apparent gunshot wounds in a residence.

According to KTUU and The Associated Press, the 15-year-old boy shot three of his siblings, ages 5, 8, and 17, before turning the gun on himself. They said three other siblings in the house, all under the age of seven, were not hurt.

According to both outlets, troopers stated that the children’s parents were not at home when the incident occurred.

According to Tim DeSpain, a spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers, authorities are still looking into any potential motive behind the deadly incident.

According to DeSpain, the gun was a “family gun,” but “beyond that, everything is still part of the ongoing investigation.” He couldn’t say whether the 15-year-old had previously interacted with law enforcement, but he did say that would be part of the investigation.

According to the outlets, the state Office of Children’s Services has been notified of the shooting, and the bodies of the children have been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office.

Clinton Bennett, a spokesperson for the state Department of Family and Community Services, which oversees the Office of Children’s Services, told the Associated Press via email that the office “will not provide any information due to rules and regulations involving the confidentiality of all involved in specific cases.”

Bennett also stated that the office will “not provide any information involving a case with an open investigation.”

Alaska State Troopers and the Office of Children’s Services did not respond to NBC News’ overnight requests for comment.

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