NEW YORK
A gunman killed seven people Thursday night in four separate locations in the U.S. state of Missouri before turning the gun on himself, according to law enforcement authorities.
The shooting spree apparently began at 10:15 p.m. (GMT0415) in the small town of Tyrone when the sheriff's department in Texas County in south-central Missouri received a call from "a juvenile female caller" who said she had heard gun shots.
In a news release, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said responding authorities found two dead victims at a residence reported by the caller.
"Further investigation revealed five additional victims who were deceased and one additional victim who was wounded in three additional residences," read the statement. All three residences were in Tyrone.
The suspect, identified only as a 36-year-old man, was found dead in adjacent Shannon County, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the statement said.
While searching Tyrone homes overnight, the investigators also found an elderly woman "who appeared to have died from natural causes."
An investigation is ongoing to determine the link between the suspected killer and the victims, authorities said.
