LACEY, Okla. — State police in Oklahoma said Tuesday that four people killed at a marijuana farm were executed, and that they were Chinese citizens.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said three men and one woman were killed on the 10-acre farm west of Hennessey, about 55 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. A fifth victim who was wounded was taken to a hospital.
State police said next-of-kin notification is pending “because of a significant language barrier.”
Police have made no arrest but said they have “a suspect in mind.”
“Based on the investigation thus far, this does not appear to be a random incident,” OSBI said in a news release.
Police have not said how the victims were killed.
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Capt. Stan Florence said authorities believe the suspect knew the victims.
“They all know each other,” Florence said. “Don’t know if they’re related, or if they’re coworkers, but certainly these individuals were, we believe, all familiar with each other.”
Oklahoma voters legalized medical marijuana in 2018 and the industry quickly boomed, thanks to an open-ended law that put in place fewer restrictions than in other states.
In March, voters will decide whether to legalize the recreational use of the drug.