Four young children were fatally stabbed in suburban Memphis Friday, and police took their mother for investigation. Authorities said she has not been charged.
Police officers did not identify the children who were killed. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office got a call about the incident shortly before 1 p.m. As of Friday night, no charges had been filed in the stabbing case. The killings happened in a gated community.
Furthermore, authorities have not released the ages of the children; sheriff's office spokesman Earle Farrell described them as "babies." Farrell was one of the first police officers who responded to the scene.
Sean Ahearn, one of the residents in the area, said he didn't know the family by name, but he often saw the children playing in the front yard. He added that they all appeared to be under age of 6.
"You never imagine that this kind of thing could happen," Ahearn told in ABC News.
As of now, the investigation is in a very preliminary stage. Investigators are trying to determine if the mother had any mental health issues in the past. County Sheriff Bill Oldham said they would release the names of the children until the next of kin is notified.
During the incident, the father was not at home. NBC News reported the father did not have any previous history with the family. In addition, records from the state Department of Children's Service show he does not have any recorded interaction with the killed children.
For now, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell assured that they will use all necessary resources for the investigation of the incident. On Friday afternoon, authorities are questioning residents around the area to get some information.
Resident Patricia Johnson said she had to stay inside her car for two hours as authorities investigated the scene.
The incident reminded Johnson and others in Memphis about a man's bloody rampage in the city in 2008. It ended with six causalities, including two children, ages 2 and 4.
Jessie Dotson was convicted for killing his brother after a heated argument at a house on Lester Street. After that, he attacked everyone else in the house with knife and gun in an attempt to eliminate witnesses.
One of the survivors was 9-year-old boy, who was found in a bathtub with a 4 ½-inch knife blade on his skull. There were also two other children that were stabbed but survived.
