On New Year’s Day in Fort Smith, Arkansas, police responded around 4:30 p.m. to a disturbance at a home on the 2800 block of Independence Street after a caller reported hearing a loud bang during a fight. Officers forced entry to a bedroom that was locked from the inside and found 49-year-old Mark Bell and 47-year-old Deevelyn Bell, both with fatal gunshot wounds. A handgun was recovered at the scene.

The Fort Smith Police Department said evidence at the home indicates the incident was isolated and that no ongoing threat to the public was identified. The bodies were sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for examination as the investigation continues. If anyone has information about what happened that afternoon or knew the Bells, please share what you know with investigators.