Terror has struck the city of Moscow, Idaho, where four undergraduate students at the University of Idaho were found dead in an off-campus apartment.
Police have launched a homicide investigation after finding the victims on Sunday. The university canceled classes on Monday as police worked to uncover what transpired at the residence and institution leaders set up counseling services.
The four victims, who have pictures together on social media, were identified on Monday: Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21. Each student was a member of a sorority or fraternity at the university.
The city is a college town of about 25,000 people, and about 10,000 students are enrolled at the University of Idaho campus.
Students and community members are looking for answers, and The New York Times reports that some individuals who live in the neighborhood where the incident occurred have left.
Paige Carter, a senior at the school who lives in a house near the residence, told the outlet that she and her roommate were heading to the airport out of fear.
“We’re just scared of the circumstances,” she said.
“We haven’t really heard much information," Carter explained. "So we don’t really know what to think.”
“All I can say is the deaths are ruled a homicide at this point, and homicide and murder are synonymous,” Moscow Police Captain Anthony Dahlinger told the Idaho Statesman.
“We certainly have a crime here, so we are looking for a suspect,” Dahlinger said.
The Latah County coroner told The New York Times that the deaths are not being categorized as a murder-suicide. Autopsies of the bodies are scheduled to be conducted on Wednesday.
“The Moscow Police Department and the City of Moscow is deeply saddened for the families of these individuals, fellow students and friends, and our community during this time,” the police department said in a press release. “Our heartfelt sympathies go out to each and every person affected by this incident.”
Though the circumstance around the deaths are still unknown to the public, the University of Idaho stated in a tweet on Sunday that there is “no ongoing threat.”
University of Idaho President C. Scott Green released a statement about the loss on Monday. “Words cannot adequately describe the light these students brought to this world or ease the depth of suffering we feel at their passing under these tragic circumstances,” he said.
He noted that counseling services have been arranged for campus community members, and that the school is working with officials to schedule a vigil later in this week.
According to The New York Times, this is the first murder to be recorded in the city of Moscow, Idaho, since 2015.
At this time, no suspect has been arrested. Anyone with information about the case has been asked to call 208-883-7054.
