Gunman Kills 6 in Washington Rampage

'Psychotic' suspect nabbed after police chase
By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 3, 2008 2:25 AM CDT
Gunman Kills 6 in Washington Rampage
A Skagit County Sheriff's deputy talks with Washington State Patrol troopers at a scene of a shooting spree that left 6 dead.   (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey)

Six people were killed yesterday in a wild shooting spree by a mentally disturbed man in northwest Washington state, according to authorities. The bloodshed ended when the shooter surrendered after a police chase, reports the Seattle Post Intelligencer. The dead, including a sheriff's deputy, and two wounded were discovered at seven different locations. Investigators were gathering evidence and seeking a motive.

"He was just going down the road and shooting at people," said a state trooper. "This investigation is going to take a long time." The suspect's mother said her son had a history of mental illness and had become increasingly psychotic, but that she was unable to force him into an institution for treatment. "We're devastated for everybody," she said. "I'd rather it had been him or me, rather than these dear people." (More Washington stories.)

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