4 children inside home when parents killed, shot at 42 times: 'Their lives are destroyed'

Four children were inside their Maryland home during the killing of their parents, who were shot at 42 times while in their bedroom, according to authorities.

Frederick County sheriff's deputies arrived at the New Market, Maryland home at 7 a.m. on Sunday and found the deceased parents shot multiple times in an upstairs bedroom, the department wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

The sheriff's office's preliminary investigation determined that the parents were shot around 1:30 a.m., according to the social media post. The four children were found unharmed by responding deputies, the post continued.

The deceased woman is the biological mother of all four children, while the deceased man is the father of one of the kids, the sheriff's office said. The children and two adults were all living together at the time of the killings, according to the department.

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'A crime of rage and anger'

The sheriff's office said it is investigating this case as a double murder, and at this time, there is no indication that this was a random killing.

“This was a heinous targeted double murder, a crime of rage and anger," Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said during a news conference on Tuesday. "This is the type of crime that shocks the conscience of Frederick County residents. There is absolutely no reason to believe there is any risk or threat to the local public at large. I can assure the public that every available investigator and agency resource will be brought to bear in this case until the person(s) responsible are identified, arrested, and brought to justice."

Jenkins said an "angry enraged person" committed the murders. He also confirmed that 42 .40 caliber shell casings were recovered in the bedroom, indicating that the parents were shot at "close range."

Frederick County Sheriff's Office asks for the public's help

The sheriff's office has not developed any suspects at this point, but the department has ruled out the possibility of a murder-suicide, Jenkins said.

In a Facebook post shared Wednesday, the sheriff's office requested the public's assistance in the case. The department asked anyone living in the area surrounding the home to contact them if they have surveillance video from 11 p.m. on Aug. 24 to 3 a.m. on Aug. 25.

The four children in the home were ages 13 and under, according to Jenkins.

"I can't imagine what's going through their minds," Jenkins said about the children. "One of the children discovered his mother and the gentleman in the bed, dead, at the time. I can only say their lives are destroyed, is upside-down right now."

USA TODAY is not naming the victims to protect the identity of the children.