Oklahoma mother and her 3 kids dead in possible murder-suicide

A mother and her three young children — including an infant — were found dead inside their Oklahoma home Thursday night in what police are investigating as a possible murder-suicide.

The tragic outcome in the small town of Verdigris came after the mother was involved in a hours-long standoff with authorities.

Police responded to the scary situation after an unidentified woman told them the mother, armed with a gun, briefly held her hostage in a garage, Police Chief Jack Shackleford said, KOKI-TV reported.

The woman was able to flee and alert a passing cop at around 4 p.m. that there were kids in the home, Shackleford said.

The cop called for backup and dozens of law enforcement officers from different agencies, including a SWAT team, surrounded the house.

About three-and-a-half hours later, at 7:30 p.m., officers entered the house and found the bodies of the woman and three children, between the ages of a few months old to around 11 years old, officials estimated.

They also recovered a handgun at the scene. The identities of the victims have not been released, but authorities said they are treating it as a murder-suicide investigation.

Officers had responded to the same home for domestic and mental health calls several times in the past, Shackleford said, according to KOKI-TV.

With Post wires