MADISON, Wis. -- Authorities said they are investigating shootings that killed four people in Dane County on Thursday night, and they are searching for a person of interest who is considered armed and dangerous.

Police said that they believe the shootings in Madison and Middleton might be connected.

Madison police said they were called to a residence in the 6800 block of Park Edge Drive, near Elver Park, shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday. They said a mother and her young daughter were found in a vehicle that was parked in a garage at the home. Both suffered fatal gunshot wounds, investigators said.

"We believe that this is not a random act; however, we do not have a suspect in custody. The next of kin have not been notified yet, so I can't go into great detail about these victims and who they are and ages," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

Police are treating the deaths as a double homicide.

"I saw police lights flashing in the windows, and they carried the child on the gurney in the ambulance and they left," said neighbor Susan Olson, who moved her son to Madison from the Twin Cities to avoid this kind of violence. "I left because I did not want him to face all of this terrible stuff that could be happening, and here it is in our neighborhood again."

Police said these deaths are believed to be linked to two other deaths that were also discovered Thursday night in Middleton.

Middleton police said they received a call at 8:31 p.m. to assist Madison police in locating a vehicle thought to be related to the shooting on Park Edge Drive.

Middleton Police Lt. Noel Kakuske said officers located the vehicle in the parking lot of the Forest Ridge Apartments on the 2600 block of Branch Street in Middleton.

"Initial scan of the vehicle looked unoccupied," described Kakuske. "They checked further and found two bodies in the trunk, that of an adult female and a child."

Middleton police said two bodies were found dead in the car with apparent gunshot wounds. Police said those victims were also a mother and a child.

Kakuske said the vehicle was removed from the scene with the bodies still inside and taken to a secure location for processing.

"It was not obvious from initial inspection of the scene that the homicides had taken place in the car or that the homicide scene was necessarily on Branch Street," said Kakuske.

Police said they are searching for Tyrone M. Adair, 38, as a person of interest in the case.

Police said Adair is 5 feet 10 inches tall and about 175 pounds and that he might be driving a silver GMC Acadia with a Wisconsin license plate 342-EBL.

Police said Adair is considered armed and dangerous. Authorities said anyone with information on his whereabouts, or anyone who sees the Acadia, should call 911 immediately.

Authorities said they don't believe this was a random act.

Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.