Four people killed in US shooting incident - RTE.ie

Four people, including the gunman, were dead following a hostage-taking incident in the US.

The incident took place in Aurora, Colorado, the same town where a man shot dead 12 people and wounded 58 more in a movie theatre last July.

After nearly six hours of failed negotiations, police killed the gunman as he opened fire on them through a second-story window of a townhouse where he had barricaded himself, said Aurora police spokeswoman Cassidee Carlson.

It was unclear from police and media reports whether officers entered the home or shot the man through the window. KUSA television reported that he was killed after police fired tear gas and entered the home, where they found three more bodies.

The victims were believed to be related to the gunman, Mr Carlson said.

Around 3am local time, police notified neighbours of an emergency situation and evacuated several blocks, Mr Carlson said in a news briefing.

One person inside had escaped and alerted authorities, she said.