Two children among four found dead in Iqaluit

The northern community of Iqaluit is in mourning following the discovery of four dead people, including two children, the town's mayor said Wednesday.

The tragic discovery came a day earlier, when police were called to a local cemetery and found a man's body. Residents near the cemetery had spotted an unoccupied truck with the engine still running.

At the grave site, police found a man with a gunshot wound that appeared to be self-inflicted, and three other bodies were found at his nearby home, APTN's Kent Driscoll reported.

Driscoll said that all of the deceased are members of the same family, who are known in the community. However, police are not releasing the names, Driscoll added.

Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern, who was in Ottawa Tuesday, told CTV News Channel that the town is in shock over what happened.

"At this point in time, our community is trying to grapple with what happened," she said, adding that up to 20 people have killed themselves in Nunavut this year alone.

RCMP Sgt. Jimmy Akavak said that two children were among the deceased found in the Iqaluit residence.

Police said a woman was also found deceased in the home. The deaths remain under investigation.

"We are treating it as a suspicious death and we believe it is an isolated incident," Akavak told The Canadian Press.

"There was a long rifle found near the deceased male and we believe that the four deceased persons are ... connected.

"All I can say is that it is a family -- an adult male, female and two children."

Some media reports said that one of the deceased children attended Joamie Ilinniarvik School, where classes were cancelled on Wednesday. A person who answered the phone at the school said she could not provide any information about the deaths but said the school was still open.

Akavak said the man found dead in the cemetery is believed to be in his 40s. He also said police are still trying to get in touch with family members of the deceased.

It is not yet clear when police will be able to release their identities. According to Akavak, police are not looking for suspects in the case and do not believe the community is in any danger.

Police are holding a press conference Thursday at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Iqaluit is the largest city in Nunavut with its official website reporting a population of more than 7,250 people.