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5 people found shot to death in Phoenix

27 October 2013 04:14 (UTC +04:00)

Sgt. Tommy Thompson, spokesman for the Phoenix Police Department said the people included the suspected gunman.

“The suspect is a white adult male, possibly in his 50s,” he said, adding that his body was found in a condominium next to the property where the victims were discovered.

“It appears he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Thompson said.

Police is not able to confirm the relationship between the suspect and the victims but Thompson said “they were certainly living close by - like neighbors.”

Police have not yet released any names or any details about what might have prompted the shootings.

Two dogs were also found dead at the scene. Residents in the area told police that the suspect and victims had previously argued over barking dogs.

The violent crime rate in the US went up fifteen percent last year, according to a recent government report. The rate rose for the second year in a row.

More than 28,400 people have been killed by guns in the United States since the massacre of 26 elementary school students and teachers in Newtown, Connecticut, last December, according to The Slate's estimate based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.