5 Children, Man Shot Dead By Close Relative In Oklahoma; Suspect Arrested

Five children and a man, members of the same family, were killed in a shootout at their home in southeast Muskogee, Oklahoma, Tuesday.

Police were called to a residence at southeast Muskogee with reports of the shootout around 1:30 a.m.

On arrival, they found a man emerge with a firearm. Though an officer fired a shot that missed him when he tried to flee, he was apprehended later after a short foot chase, said a report by NBC News.

Police identified the suspect as 25-year-old Jarron Deajon Pridgeon, the brother of the slain adult.

While four children and an adult were found dead inside the residence, one child, who showed signs of life, was airlifted to a nearby hospital. The child later died at the hospital.

The victims are 24-year-old Javarion Lee, 1-year-old Jalaiya Pridgeon, 3-year-old Jaidus Pridgeon, 5-year-old Harmony Anderson, 6-year-old Neveah Pridgeon and 9-year-old Que’dynce Anderson.

Brittany Anderson, the mother of the children, survived the attack and is in a stable condition in the hospital. Three other children, who were in the house, escaped unhurt. They are currently in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and will soon be reunited with a family member.

According to Tulsa police spokeswoman Lynn Hamlin, there are no other suspects. "We don’t believe that it’s random, but we just don't have details yet of the why or what happened other than we have five small children that are deceased and an adult male (victim),” Hamlin said.

Police said the suspect was not cooperating with the investigation. Jail records have not listed an attorney for Pridgeon.

Muskogee Mayor Marlon Coleman said a tragedy has struck the community. "Many of us went to bed resting in anticipation of tomorrow's hopes, only to have awakened to know that five babies with unlimited potential are no longer with us," read a Facebook post by the Mayor.

Two of the deceased children were students of Creek Elementary School, which has mourned the deaths. The school has also made arrangements for additional counseling services.

Oklahoma had witnessed another tragedy over the last weekend after a man murdered his wife and two minor girls before stabbing himself to death. The victims were Anastacia (Stacy) Smith, 41, and her daughters who were 4 and 2 years old.