A man has been charged with the murders of three men who were stabbed to death in Colchester.
Police were called to Wellesley Road at around 10.15pm on Saturday over concerns for the welfare of two men following reports of an altercation.
Officers found two men dead inside a property, while the body of a third man was discovered in a car outside.
Essex Police said 32-year-old Tom Saunders, of Bounstead Road, Colchester, was arrested on Sunday in connection with their deaths.
The force said he was charged in the early hours of Tuesday with three counts of murder and is due to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court later.
Police have identified the two men found dead inside the property as 35-year-old Danny Gibson and 31-year-old Jason Gibson, both from Colchester.
The man found dead inside a car in Hospital Road has been identified by police as 35-year-old Richard Booth, also from Colchester.
Post-mortem examinations concluded that the men died of multiple stab wounds.
Detectives are continuing their investigation and a police cordon remains in place in Wellesley Road while specialist teams search 10 areas that are being treated as crime scenes.
Colchester district commander, Chief Inspector Rob Huddleston, said: “I want to thank residents for their understanding, patience and co-operation while we continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding these tragic deaths.
“This incident has left our community shocked and saddened.
“We are treating it as a targeted and isolated incident.
“Those involved were well known to each other and we do not believe it was linked to any gang-related crime or drug use.
“Colchester is a safe place to live, work and socialise and we will continue to work with our partners to ensure this continues.
“We are carrying out extra patrols in the area and if you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to speak to one of my officers.”