CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. -- A teenage girl watched helplessly as her friend was pulled into her home and attacked in a quadruple homicide early Thursday, investigators said.

During a press conference Thursday afternoon, Catawba County sheriff’s deputies said the teen saw a man run around and into the back of her friend’s home on Gristmill Drive off Houston Mill Road north of Conover when she went to pick her up for school. She told authorities that as they were driving to Bunker Hill High School, she told 18-year-old Pauline Chao -- identified by family members -- what she had seen, and Chao asked her to go back to the house.

When they arrived at the home shortly before 7 a.m., Chao opened the front door. Investigators said the man inside reached out, pulled the girl in and attacked her.

The friend drove off and called 911. Meanwhile, residents of the Millstone neighborhood said they heard screams.

When officers arrived, they found Chao, along with her mother, Lisa Saephan, her sister, 20-year-old Melanie Saephan, and her brother, 3-year-old Cody Saechao, all dead of gunshot and stab wounds. Family members provided their names to Eyewitness News.

Investigators said their father left for work early in the morning and was working out of the area when the attack happened. They said he has been ruled out as a suspect.

The man believed to be the killer was seen running behind the home after the slaying. The back door of the house was left open. Investigators found a gun in bushes a short distance away just after noon, and they believe it is connected to the killings.

Authorities said they are looking for a man in his late 30s or early 40s, who is about 5 feet 4 inches tall, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans or sweatpants. They said the man is either Hispanic or of Asian decent.

The man is believed to be in a black or dark blue newer model Toyota Camry with the partial license plate P24. It was parked about two blocks from the house. The license plate is from out of state and has red, white and blue lettering.

Investigators said the killer has likely left the immediate area.

“In this particular situation, we have put all resources out. We pulled our men off the roads and out of the office and we’re checking every lead that we can,” said Sheriff David Huffman.

The sheriff said he doesn’t believe the attack was random, but that the killer knew the victims. Investigators have not speculated on a motive.

The State Bureau of Investigation is assisting local authorities in the investigation.

For several hours after the homicides, four nearby schools were on modified lockdowns, which meant that all exterior doors were locked and there were no outside activities for students. Those schools are Lyle Creek Elementary, Oxford Elementary, River Bend Middle and Bunker Hill High schools.

Family, Friends Grieve For Slain Family

Several family members went to the home to grieve on Thursday, and church members gathered to pray nearby.

“They didn’t do anything wrong,” said Tiffany Faephan, a cousin of the three children. “I mean, I don’t know what they could have done to deserve this. No one deserves this.”

People began leaving flowers outside the crime tape late Thursday afternoon, while neighbors said they are in shock.

“It doesn’t make sense to us at all. We don’t know what’s wrong,” said Seng Satern, who has known the family for seven years.

“This is really unreal,” said Nai Saevang, another cousin of the victims. “This whole thing -- I just can’t believe it.

Classmates of the sisters said they spent the day trying to find out what happened by texting friends and family. They said the only thing they knew for sure was that many had lost a friend.

Natasha Millsaps attends Catawba Valley Community College, where Melanie Saephan was one of her good friends.

“I was like, ‘No, not Melanie,’ I just talked to her the other day,” she said.

Samantha Keoshkhao, who goes to Bunker Hill High School where Chao was a senior, said the teen was a great friend.

“I was friends with her since like the sixth grade. She was funny, outgoing, and she was really laid back,” she said.

By noon Thursday, students, teachers and administrators had all heard the news about the slaying, but no specific details.

Students said everyone was scrambling to get any information they could while coping with the tragedy.

“There’s a lot of people who are really overwhelmed by it because they never thought something like that would happen around here,” a classmate said.