(CNN)Rescue and recovery late Friday after Minnesota authorities found the body of a child in the lake Efforts were underway. The other children are missing, police said.
Police said the mother of three children (all seemingly under the age of five) was also missing. It is just north of St. Paul.
"We still don't know where their mother is, but we treat this as a potential triple murder," Ramsey County Security Officer Bob Fletcher said at a press conference on Friday.
Authorities believe these possible murders are related to the suicide reported at the beginning of Friday around 10:30 am local time. Maplewood Police Lieutenant Joe Steiner said the first responder arrived at a nearby Maplewood residence and found a dead man.
Police say they responded to the lake around 4 pm. However, he did not elaborate on how the two cases are related, adding that both investigations are underway.
"This is just a tragic event, and our hearts are directed at the family and friends involved in this incident," Steiner said.
At the end of Friday, the water patrol and diving team was actively searching using drones and other resources. Fletcher added that the effort was difficult during the dark hours.
"One of the children may be in the woods or elsewhere, but over time it's less likely," Fletcher said.
