Washington, Rajab 18, 1437, April 25, 2016, SPA -- The shooting deaths of eight members of one family in rural southern Ohio was a premeditated act, law enforcement authorities in the Midwestern US state said Sunday, according to dpa. "This was a pre-planned execution of eight individuals," said Ohio Attorney General Michael DeWine. "It was a sophisticated operation and those who carried it out were trying to do everything they could do to hinder the investigation and their prosecution." DeWine also fueled speculation that the killings were drug related by revealing that marijuana growing operations were found at three of the four crime scenes. Most of the victims were shot execution style in the head while sleeping, DeWine said. The dead included one juvenile and the mother of a 4-day-old infant who was shot while sleeping next to her baby. Two other children - a 6-month-old and a 3-year-old - were found alive, authorities said. Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader told a news conference that the killer or killers were still being sought, but said searches of all four crime scenes were finished and 18 pieces of evidence had been collected. Reader said a team of 38 investigators would conduct searches of wooded areas near the crime scenes for more clues. "I want to stress that this investigation is very large, probably the largest in Pike County that we have been in charge of," Reader said. The victims were identified as Hannah Gilley, Christopher Rhoden Sr, Christopher Rhoden Jr, Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, Dana Rhoden, Gary Rhoden, Hanna Rhoden and Kenneth Rhoden, according to a local newspaper, citing information provided by the attorney general's office. The sheriff also said he had advised surviving members of the Rhoden family to arm themselves because whoever killed their relatives could be after them as well. Both Reader and DeWine acknowledged that the area of Ohio where the killings occurred had a drug problem, with DeWine going further by saying the problem was statewide. DeWine provided no further details about the illicit marijuana growing operations. Ohio has decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana, but it is illegal to grow or sell marijuana in the state for either medicinal or recreational purposes. There had been intense speculation that the murders may have been related to drugs. The area has made national headlines for heroin trafficking and deaths attributed to the narcotic and for methamphetamine production. --SPA 01:59 LOCAL TIME 22:59 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w