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Missouri shooter ID'd as cousin of 4 victims; 7 dead

Several crimes scenes were secured by police, who say the gunman is dead.

By Scott Smith, Amy Connolly and Danielle Haynes

TYRONE, Mo., Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Police identified a man suspected of killing seven people -- including himself and four cousins -- Friday in Missouri as Joseph Jesse Aldridge.

Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Jeff Kinder said six people were shot dead and another person was injured from a gunshot wound in southern Missouri in four separate homes. An eighth person, an elderly woman, was found dead in another home. The shooter, a 36-year-old Aldrdige, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot in a parked vehicle in nearby Shannon County.

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Sheriff's officials got a call about 10:15 p.m. Thursday from a young girl who said she was in a home and heard gunshots. She made the call from a neighbor's house. Deputies found two people dead at the home.

"In our job, we see a lot of bad stuff and this is bad," Kinder said during a news conference Friday. "It's not natural to see that sort of thing."

Deputies the elderly woman, 74-year-old Alice Aldridge, Joseph's mother, apparently died from natural causes and are not clear about her involvement in the case.

"I'm sure there is some type of relationship there, but I'm not sure what it is," he said. "We are not calling her a victim at this time."

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The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported three women and four men were fatally shot, ranging in age from 40 to mid 60s.

Four of the victims were Joseph Aldridge's cousins. They were identified as Garold Dee Aldridge, 52; Julie Ann Aldridge, 47; Harold Wayne Aldridge, 50; and Janell Arlisa Aldridge, 48. The identities of the other victims were not released.

Texas County Coroner Tom Whittaker said before police found the suspect dead, they went to his mother's home where she was dead on a couch of apparent natural causes. She had been under doctor's care for an illness. She had been there at least 24 hours.

"We're speculating that he came home and found her deceased and then for whatever reason went on a rampage and started killing people," Whittaker said. "This is just so strange. Right now, with the shooter dead, we don't know. Is there something that sparked this? We're still in the information-gathering stage."

Neighbors reported that police started knocking on doors in the small town at 3:45 a.m. Friday, checking for anyone who had been shot. One resident said police said not to answer the door for strangers and to stay indoors.

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Tyrone is located in south-central Missouri, about 140 miles southwest of St. Louis.

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