Five Dead in Mason County in Apparent Murder-Suicide

BELFAIR (AP) — A gunman killed four people in a rural home before fatally shooting himself after an hourslong standoff, authorities said Friday.

The gunman had called 911 to say he shot and killed his family, Mason County sheriff's Chief Deputy Ryan Spurling said. A girl who survived has been taken to the hospital for an evaluation.

Authorities negotiated with the man for about three hours before a SWAT team entered the home near Belfair, about 25 miles southwest of Seattle, and found the people dead. The gunman shot himself, Spurling said.

The SWAT team entered the home around 12:30 p.m., he said.

Officers said they had 11 buildings to clear on the property but reported they had found the bodies shortly after entering the first building.