4 people found dead in Cumberland Co. car - WATE-TV

CRAB ORCHARD (WATE) - Four people were found dead in a vehicle early Thursday morning in Renegade Mountain in Cumberland County.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Kristin Helm says the victims were discovered in a blue car around 7:30 a.m. CDT on Cumberland Gardens Road with fatal gunshot wounds.

Cumberland County officials say they received a number of tips about the car from residents.

They are treating the deaths as homicides.

Cumberland County officials have asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to bring in a specialized crime lab from Nashville designed for unusual and difficult homicides.

Sheriff Butch Burgess says the county has never dealt with a case like this and immediately called the TBI.

"We owe it to the families to do the best job and bring everything to bare, and utilize every asset we have," said Sheriff Burgess.

Sheriff Burgess says it appears all the victims were shot at the same location where the bodies were found.

Officials have not yet identified the victims, but do say the victims are local, a mix of men and women, and include some "young people."

They also are unable to release a suspect description. They say they do not believe the public is in danger.

District Attorney General says the number of victims makes the incident unusual.

Renegade Mountain is a former resort community that has recently exited bankruptcy. It was formerly a ski resort, and then a golf course.

Only about a dozen residents live there presently, some who say they've been involved in an ongoing dispute with owners over paying for things like security.

Homeowners association president John Moore says the victims were found in an undeveloped area, but plans were underway to build housing nearby.