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4 people found fatally shot in small Mojave Desert community

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Four people were found fatally shot in a small Mojave Desert community, authorities said Monday.

Deputies responding to a shooting report late Sunday night in the unincorporated community of Mojave found a man and three women with gunshot wounds to their upper bodies, the Kern County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.

The man and two women died at the scene, which was only described as "a property." One of the women was pronounced dead at a hospital. Their identities were to be determined and released by the coroner's office after notification of families.

“KCSO Homicide Detectives are pursuing all investigative leads to identify and arrest the suspect(s) responsible for this crime,” the press release said.

No other details were immediately released, but sheriff's public information officer Lori Meza said in an email to The Associated Press that there was currently no threat to the community.

Mojave, population 3,600, is along an important rail line at an intersection of two state highways on the western side of the Mojave Desert about 70 miles north of Los Angeles.

The community is in a region with a history of gold and silver mining and is currently known for wind farms on nearby hills and the Mojave Air & Space Port, where aerospace companies such as Virgin Galactic have facilities.