A mother, father and their young son were found dead of gunshot wounds inside a burning home in Maywood, California, early Saturday, in what the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says appears to be a domestic-violence murder-suicide.

Firefighters responding to a blaze on the 5000 block of East 61st Street around 2:25 a.m. found the three bodies in a bedroom after putting out the fire, according to authorities. A handgun was recovered in the same room.

"A preliminary investigation indicated that the father was the shooter," said Lt. Eric Arias of the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau. Deputy Phillip Arellano, also with the department, confirmed there were "three deceased people inside the building." The parents were described as in their late 40s; their son was under age 10. Names have not been released, and investigators are not seeking a suspect.

Fire's Cause Still Under Investigation

The blaze is believed to have started on the home's first floor, though its exact cause had not been determined as of Saturday. Investigators are treating the fire and the shootings as connected, part of what the department is describing as a domestic incident rather than a random attack.

Maywood, an unincorporated community of roughly 24,000 people in southeast Los Angeles County sandwiched between the cities of Bell and Huntington Park, has seen little violent crime of this scale in recent years; neighbors on the block described being woken by fire crews and sheriff's vehicles in the pre-dawn hours.

What's Next

The Sheriff's Homicide Bureau is continuing to investigate and has not released the family's identities pending notification of relatives. No public safety threat is believed to remain. Anyone affected by domestic violence or in crisis can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988.