A 14-YEAR-old boy shot and killed all five members of his family in the US state of Alabama and then called police and confessed to the crime.

Three of the victims were found dead at the scene, a house in Elkmont, Alabama, and the other two died later after being airlifted to a regional hospital.

“The 14-year-old caller was interviewed and confessed to shooting all five members of his family in the residence,” Limestone County sheriff said on Twitter.

“He is currently assisting investigators in locating the weapon, a 9mm handgun that he said he tossed nearby,” it said.

BREAKING: Five people have been shot at a residence in the 16000 block of Ridge Rd in Elkmont. Three confirmed dead at the scene, two were airlifted in critical condition.

— Limestone Sheriff (@LimestoneCoSO) September 3, 2019

The shootings occurred late yesterday. 

The boy in custody was not identified, and there was no immediate word on a possible motive for the murders.

There are more than 36,000 deaths a year from gun violence in the United States -  about a third of them homicides – according to statistics compiled by the Giffords Law Centre.