Donetsk, Dec 27 — DAN. The Russian Investigative Committee (SK) has filed a criminal case over the murder of a family of eight in the town of Makeyevka, the SK press service reported on Tuesday.

Earlier reports said that four adults and four children had been shot and killed in Makeyevka’s Chervonogvardeisky district on Monday night. Law-enforcement authorities launched a manhunt for the killers. Subsequent reports said that several suspects had been detained.

“Criminal proceedings were instituted over a first degree murder and car theft, ” the SK press service said adding that SK military investigators quickly tracked the car in which the suspects had fled.

Police detained four suspects in a Donetsk apartment seizing a Kalashnikov assault rifle with three magazines and two grenades during a search. “Documents are being prepared for an expert examination of the weapons, ” the SK said.

A decision on taking the suspects into custody is expected shortly.*jk