8 Dead Including Gunman In Rural Missouri Shooting Spree

A 36-year-old shooter killed seven people in rural Missouri Thursday night before turning the gun on himself.

In a news conference Friday morning, Sgt. Jeff Kinder of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said eight bodies were found in five homes in Tyrone, an unincorporated community in south-central Missouri. Tyrone is 160 miles southwest of St. Louis.

Around 10:15 Thursday night, the Texas County Sheriff received reports of a shooting inside a home. A juvenile female called police from a neighbor's house after she heard gunshots inside the home and fled.

According to CBS St. Louis:

Responding deputies found two dead at this residence. Five additional victims were found dead, with one additional wounded victim in three additional Tyrone residences. The injured victim was taken to a nearby hospital.

The deceased include seven shooting victims, and an elderly woman who investigators say died of natural causes. Kinder said police are not counting the elderly woman as a victim.

The gunman's body was found inside a car in neighboring Shannon County, according to KY3 News. He appears to have shot himself.

Police said the names of the victims will not be released until next-of-kin are notified. Kinder said police were still piecing together a motive.

"In our job we see a lot of bad stuff, and this is bad. it's hard on the officers to have to see this kind of stuff," Kinder said.

This is a developing story.