8 Children with Parents Found Dead in Florida

Eight children were found in the Florida home of their slain parents, who apparently were the victims of a home invasion, police confirmed to CNN Friday.

Photo: 8 Children with Parents Found Dead in Florida

The couple was found shot Thursday night in their Beulah home, said Escambia County Police spokesman Sgt. Ted Roy. One of the parents was shot in the head, he said. Beulah is about 17 miles northwest of Pensacola, CNN reports.

The victims have been identified as Byrd and Melanie Billings. The couple had 16 children, 12 of them adopted.

The Billings were known for helping children with disabilities and troubled backgrounds, Providence Eyewitness News reports.

The Sheriff's Office says the murders took place just before eight Thursday night at a home on Mobile Highway in the Beulah Community. That's right at the Alabama/Florida state line.

Neighbors tell News 5 that Byrd and Melanie Billings were shot in their own home. The couple had 16 children, most of them adopted. Investigators say some of the children were home at the time of the shooting, WKRG-TV reports.