(AP)
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Police say a gunman suspected of killing four people at a Seattle cafe and then a woman in a subsequent carjacking shot himself as officers closed in on him on a West Seattle street. He was listed in critical condition. One other person was critically injured in the cafe shooting, which occurred about 11am local time at the Cafe Racer, a restaurant and music venue north of the University of Washington. Police haven't speculated about a motive. They released two photos from inside the cafe: One shows a man walking into the establishment. Another shows stools overturned, and the man standing and holding what appears to be a handgun.
It was just the latest in a spate of shootings that has brought the homicide total to 20 so far this year, compared to 21 all of last year:
- Last week, a man died when a stray bullet struck him as he and his family drove down a Seattle street.
- In late April, a woman died of injuries suffered in an apparently random drive-by shooting near downtown. (No arrests have been made in either case.)
- On Saturday, a bystander was wounded near the iconic Space Needle when he was struck by a bullet allegedly fired by a gang member involved in a dispute with another man, authorities said.
