4 found dead in Doral home in what is believed to be a murder-suicide, Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office says

Four people found dead inside a Doral home on Tuesday night are believed to have been the victims of a murder-suicide, according to an update from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office.

Deputies said that Doral police officers were called to a Doral Isles home in the area of Northwest 111 Court and Northwest 72nd Terrace just after 7:30 p.m. to perform a welfare check.

When police arrived, the MDSO said that officers entered the home and found four people – two adults and two children – with stab wounds.

Members of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived at the scene and pronounced all four people dead.

The adults were identified as 46-year-old Melanie Lauren Hyer and 42-year-old Ryan Charles Whiten. The children were identified as an 11-year-old girl and an 8-year-old girl.

The Doral community was left stunned after the tragedy, especially those who knew Hyer 

Mayor Fraga says she knew Hyer and her daughters.

"She was a light of sunshine and was always eager to help at school and to be involved as a mom, so when I got the news, it definitely hit close to home," said Fraga.

"Melanie is an extremely outgoing person, extremely friendly, extremely meticulous when it came to her work," said Willard Shepard.

Shepard says he met Hyer about 20 years ago, when she was his realtor, and says they've been friends ever since.

Shepard says he was stunned to hear what happened.

"It's just heartbreaking across the board that this entire family is physically not with us anymore," said Shepard.

The two girls were students of Downtown Doral Charter Schools, who released a statement to CBS News Miami about the children's deaths. 

It reads: "Our community is mourning the loss of two of our beloved students. Our heartfelt sympathies are with their families, friends, faculty, and staff at our schools. These students will be deeply missed."

The school then says they will be helping students and staff with their grief, saying, "To support our students and staff, the school has arranged to have grief counselors on campus and will continue to provide support as needed. We encourage parents to talk openly with their children and closely monitor their well-being. Parents with any concerns or in need of additional support should contact the school." 

CBS News Miami also spoke with Gloria Caldas, who has a granddaughter at the charter school. She told us that she was heartbroken to hear the news.

"I am sad. I am definitely very sad. It is horrible that the lives of a mother and father ended this way," Caldas said. 

Emotional support animals were seen at Downtown Doral Charter School on Wednesday afternoon, where the girls went to school.

Those who knew the family are now questioning why this happened.

"There was no indication that I had that anything like this would be possible whatsoever on the horizon," said Shepard.

Court records show Hyer and Whiten had been married to other people, but were both divorced at the time of their deaths.

Investigators have not said who was responsible for the murder-suicide.