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Bakersfield, CA

Six dead, including gunman, in shooting spree in Bakersfield, California, authorities say

LOS ANGELES — A man went on a shooting rampage in one of the major cities of California's agricultural heartland Wednesday evening, killing his wife and four others before turning the gun on himself, authorities said.

While an exact motive for the killing spree was not disclosed, Lt. Mark King of the Kern County Sheriff's Office said "there's a strong indication" it was a case of domestic violence. None of the names of the victims or the deceased gunmen were released.

Gunshots rang out shortly before 5:19 p.m. when dispatchers received multiple calls about a shooting in the 600 block of Manwell Boulevard, King said. Arriving deputies found three victims, but the gunman had fled.

Fifteen minutes later, more calls came in about a shooter in the 9400 block of Breckenridge Road in Bakersfield, California, about 90 miles north of Los Angeles. There, two more victims were found — and again the suspect was gone. At 5:49 p.m., a woman said she was a carjacking victim and was able to provide a description of her vehicle.

Five minutes later, a deputy saw the vehicle being driven by a man who fit the description of the suspect, King said. They pulled over the car in the 3300 block of Edison Highway. The suspect got out of the vehicle toting a large-caliber handgun but before he could be arrested, he turned the gun on himself and pulled the trigger.

A Kern County sheriff's deputy stands near a closed area in Bakersfield, California.

Among the dead were the suspect's wife and another woman, King said, adding that detectives were continuing to try to piece together the episode, including questioning some 30 witnesses. He also said that other than the wife, he was unaware of the relationship between the victims and the suspect.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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