Sheriff: 5 dead, including gunman, after man called to say he shot his family



BELFAIR, Wash. -- Five people were shot dead, including the gunman, at a home near Belfair after the suspect called police to say he had shot his family, the Mason County Sheriff's Office said.

"This is a tragic day for everyone," Sheriff Casey Salisbury said.

The sheriff's office said deputies initially received a call from a man shortly before 9 a.m. reporting he had shot four people.  When deputies initially responded, they encountered a man barricaded in the residence in the 300 block of Horseshoe Drive. The Mason County Regional SWAT team was moved in.

A sheriff's deputy sergeant communicated with the man by phone for more than three hours, but then "the man walked outside the residence and shot himself," the sheriff's office said.

When police moved into the house, they found the four bodies. No information was being released immediately about the victims or the suspect.

However,  12-year-old girl who was related to the suspect escaped from the scene. She wasn't shot, but was transported to a hospital as a precaution.



 

Here are the recordings of the early calls:



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[audio wav="https://tribkcpq.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/2016-02-26-11-51-34-005-recorder.wav"]

[audio wav="https://tribkcpq.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/2016-02-26-12-36-55-005-recorder.wav"][/audio]

 

 

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.