Christopher Speight killed eight in mystery shooting spree
A lone gunman killed eight people in central Virginia on Tuesday during a shooting spree during which seven of the victims were murdered at the same house.
The killer, named as 39 year old Christopher Speight was still at large and hiding in a wood near the town of Appomattox last night as police swarmed through the forest tring to flush him out.
Virginia police could not say what sparked the violence but the gunman fired at a police helicopter as it flew overhead, forcing it to land with a ruptured fuel tank.
Late on Tuesday, as the killer's eight victim, found on the side of the road, died on his way to hsopital police dogs and a helicopter with thermal imaging equipment arrived to continue the search.
"They are searching the area and will continue until the suspect is apprehended," State Police Sergeant Thomas Molnar said.
The violence began shortly after noon when an injured man was found on a rural stretch of road outside Appomattox, which lies around 100 miles southwest of Richmond. A police offier who went to investigate fled after he heard gunshots, said police spokeswoman Corrine Geller.
"When the deputy arrived on the scene, that's when he heard several shots,'' said Mr Molnar.
He said there were ``several fatalities and one injury.'' Police were still trying to determine the suspect's relationship with the victims.
Resident Bethel Hawkins said police warned families to remain inside with their doors locked. She said many homeowners in the area are senior citizens.
``We're just being cautious, keeping our doors locked, not going outside,'' said Hawkins, who lives about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) up the road from where the shootings occurred. ``Our church service is supposed to be tonight, but we talked with our pastor and told him we're not coming out. We're not going out in the dark not knowing what's out there. But we trust in the Lord to take care of us.''
Appomattoxis best known as the place where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army in 1865 to Union General Ulysses S Grant to end the U.S. Civil War.
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