INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Authorities launched a homicide investigation Monday into the house explosion that killed two people and left numerous homes uninhabitable in an Indianapolis neighborhood.

Indianapolis Homeland Security Director Gary Coons made the announcement after meeting with residents affected by the Nov. 10 blast and just hours after a funeral for the husband and wife who were killed. The couple lived next door to the house where investigators believe the explosion occurred.

“We are turning this into a criminal homicide investigation,” Coons said, marking the first time investigators have acknowledged a possible criminal element to the case.