Three best friends were shot and butchered when they arrived at a lake for a night fishing trip in central Florida.
The men have been identified as as Damion Tillman, 23, Keven Springfield, 30, and Brandon Rollins, 27.
They had been fishing at Lake Streety in Frostproof, 70 miles south of Orlando.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told a media briefing near the scene that the killings were a 'massacre'.
He said: "This is a horrific scene. I've been to a lot of murder scenes in my life, and this ranks among the worst."
According to Judd, investigators believe Tillman arrived at the lake first on Friday night to meet his friends for "night fishing" for catfish. When Rollins and Springfield arrived, they saw Tillman being beaten and were shot at by the attackers.
Rollins initially survived the attack and was able to call his father for help, Judd said.
"When he arrived he found his son Brandon barely alive, and his two friends deceased," the sheriff's office said in a press release.
"Brandon was able to say a few things to his dad, which we are not releasing at this time."
By the time authorities arrived at the scene, Tillman, Springfield, and Rollins were all dead.
Cyril Rollins, the father of Brandon, said: "I was just so upset last night, I just didn't know what to do."
“These folks appear to be beaten and shot. ... We are seeking leads, we need help so we can solve this crime sooner rather than later,” Judd said.
Judd did not say during the media briefing if authorities have identified any suspects, but said his department is offering a $5,000 for any information leading to the capture of the attackers.
Judd added that the suspect or suspects may have known the men.
"You don't just stumble upon somebody out here," he said.
"It's not like there's a lot of people around here. As you can see, it's cow pastures and lakes."
He also said investigators believe more than one person was involved in the triple homicide.
