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Mass Shooting in Southern Missouri

Mass Shooting in Southern Missouri
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By Fox News
Feb. 27, 2015 | TYRONE, MO
By Fox News Feb. 27, 2015 | 08:34 AM | TYRONE, MO
Seven people were found murdered Thursday night in the small Missouri town of Tyrone, and their suspected killer discovered dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.



A ninth person found dead in connection with the investigation is believed to have died from "natural causes," according to authorities.



The Texas County Sheriff's Department said officers were called to a home Thursday at 10:15 pm by a teenage girl who reported hearing gunshots inside a Tyrone residence. The girl fled to a neighbor's house to call authorities, and police responding to the scene found two people dead, according to officials.



Upon further investigation, authorities found five additional victims who were dead and one victim who was wounded in three additional residences, according to Sgt. Jeff Kinder of the Missouri Highway Patrol. All the homes involved in the attacks are in Tyrone, an unincorporated community in Texas County, Mo., about 140 miles southwest of St. Louis.



A search of another residence revealed the body of a deceased elderly female who appeared to have died from natural causes, officials said.



The Houston Herald newspaper, citing a law enforcement official, reported that the woman was the mother of the suspected shooter.



Kinder, however, told reporters at a press conference Friday morning that investigators could not yet confirm if the woman was related to the other victims.



"I'm sure there's some type of relationship there but we don't know what it is," Kinder said. "We're not calling her a victim at this time."



The suspected gunman, a 36-year-old man from Tyrone, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in a parked vehicle in Shannon County, authorities said.



Kinder said authorities were investigating six scenes in total Friday morning -- including the spot where the suspected gunman shot himself. He said police will not release the names of the victims and the suspect until next of kin are notified.



The injured victim is being treated at a nearby hospital, officials said.



Kinder did not release any information about a possible motive for the shootings. "This is an active investigation," he said. "In our job we see a lot of bad stuff and this is bad."



A neighbor of one of the crime scenes told the Houston Herald newspaper that police came to the door at 3:45 am Friday to check for victims. Authorities told residents in the area to stay in their homes and not to open their door to strangers. The paper said the Houston School District has informed staff to arrive early work for counseling sessions.



Tyrone, Mo is about a 3 hour drive west of Paducah.



The Houston Herald, in Houston, Mo, contributed to this report.









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