The youngest victim of the Ohio massacre had received a threatening message on Facebook before the killings took place, and the link is currently being investigated.
The Facebook post had mentioned Christopher Rhoden Jr, 16, who was the youngest victim in the execution-style killing of 8 members of the Rhoden family in Pike County, Ohio, in four separate locations.
“I’m aware of the Facebook threat,” Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine told CBS News. “Every piece of information is valuable and our investigators are certainly taking that into consideration.”
The murder appears to have been planned, as most of the victims were killed in their sleep, and the three young children, all 3 years old and younger, were spared.
The Pike County Sheriff has told the remaining members of the Rhoden family to take precautions and arm themselves.
Although the motives of the killers have not yet been established, it’s possible that drugs were tied to the murders. A marijuana growing operation, too large for personal use, was found near the site where the Rhoden family was killed.
Some 200 plants were found in the growing operation, with each plant having a potential yield of $2,000 worth of marijuana.
Investigators have interviewed upwards of 30 people to try to find leads on who was responsible for the murders.
The murders have chilled the town of Piketon, which has a little over 2,000 people.
“People are scared to come out,” said Courtney Boyer, a local resident. “What if that person who shot all those people is running around here. You don’t know who it is. Or what they’re capable of doing?”
