JINAN - Police in East China's Shandong province on Friday apprehended a man suspected of killing five people, including three children, local authorities said.

The 39-year-old suspect surnamed Wang, who is from the village of Tingmiao in Tancheng county, is believed to have murdered five people in the same village Thursday night. Wang was taken into custody at about 6:00 pm Friday.

Li Tingquan, his three children and a friend of the family were found dead at Li's home, a local official with the Tancheng government said, citing unconfirmed reports.

Details of the murder are not immediately known, and police are continuing to investigate the case.