A man has gone on a shooting spree in rural Missouri, killing seven people before turning the gun on himself, local media report.
The rampage occurred in the rural Missouri community of Tyrone, which is located roughly 40 miles north of the Arkansas border in Texas County.
According to a statement released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 10:15 p.m. on the evening of February 26, the Texas Country Sheriff’s Department received a phone call from a female juvenile indicating she was in a residence in Tyrone and had heard gunshots. When police responded to the call, they found two bodies. The girl, meanwhile, had fled to a neighboring house.
One of the crime scenes in Tyrone, Mo where 9 people have died. 8 victims and one suspect dead . pic.twitter.com/zEtgpr5SM9
— Mazda Road Runner (@RoadRunnerSTL) February 27, 2015
“Further investigation revealed five additional victims who were deceased and one additional victim who was deceased and one additional victim who was wounded in three additional residences. All three residences were in Tyrone,” the statement read.
#Missouri: 8 dead incl 36yo #Tyrone shooter who killed himself http://t.co/bEDM6y6U3Tpic.twitter.com/07Dlho76hE
— RT (@RT_com) February 27, 2015
An elderly female who had died of natural causes was also found at another residence. A total of nine deceased individuals, including the shooter and the elderly female, were discovered. The individual who sustained injuries in the rampage was taken to an area hospital, AP reports.
Texas County Sheriff James Sigman told the Houston Herald there are four confirmed crime scenes in Tyrone. A fifth and six location have also been identified in nearby Shannon County.
A Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed the death of the alleged shooter to the paper. The 36-year-old assailant was reportedly found dead in a parked car in Shannon County, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Multiple killings under investigation in southern Missouri http://t.co/U4JuhV6LXzpic.twitter.com/0q64asMzaa
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) February 27, 2015
Staff at schools in the area were told to arrive early to provide counseling to students.
Authorities have yet to identify the victims or the gunman.
The Missouri Highway Patrol is set to hold a news conference on Friday to provide further details.
A motive behind the killings or any potential connection between the shooter and his victims remains unclear.