9 People Dead After Mass Shooting In Tyrone, Missouri *UPDATE* Suspect & Victims ID'd "Half The Town Got Killed" (Video/Pics)

Joseph Jesse Aldridge Gunned Down Family Members Before Killing Himself

Video And Pics After The Jump

In what can only be described as a massacre, nine people are dead after shootings at multiple locations in Tyrone, Missouri.

The Houston Herald reports that two bodies were found at a residence after the Texas County Sheriff's Department were called at about 10:15 p.m. Thursday, February 26, by a girl, who reported gunshots in a residence. She escaped by running to a neighbor's house.

Five more fatalities and an injured person were found at three other homes in Tyrone. The injured individual was taken to a local hospital. An elderly woman was found found at another location. It is believed she died of natural causes.

The 36-year-old suspect from Tyrone was later found in a vehicle in Shannon County dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, patrol spokesman Sgt. Jeff Kinder said.

At this point no possible motive for the killings has been revealed. None of the deceased have been publicly identified.

Story developing...

**UPDATE** February 28

Authorities are still trying to figure out what led a gunman, identified as 36-year-old Joseph Jesse Aldridge, to go on a murderous rampage in the small town of Tyrone, Missouri on Thursday, February 26.

In all eight people, including the gunman, were killed by gunshots. A ninth woman, Alice L. Aldridge, 74, died from natural causes.

The Houston Herald identified four of the shooting victims as Garold Dee Aldridge, 52, and Julie Ann Aldridge, 47, and Harold Wayne Aldridge, 50, and Janell Arlisa Aldridge, 48. Three other victims and a lone survivor were not named.

The killings were shocking to residents of the small town of only 50 people.

“The town is devastated,” resident Nora Shriver told the Kansas City Star. “Half of the town got killed last night.”

The doors to the homes of the victims were unlocked. Aldridge simply walked in and started shooting.

“There were no signs of forced entry, and he apparently just walked in,” Texas County Coroner Tom Whitaker told the Houston Herald. “There were three scenes where the husband and wife were both killed in the bedroom. At the fourth scene, those people were up and actually answered the door.”

Two of thecouples killed were Aldridge's cousins. Alice Aldrige was his mother. He was found inside his car after apparently killing himself.

“Since the perpetrator killed himself, we don’t feel the need to do them,” Whitaker said. “We know why they died and how they died. We are going to do an autopsy on the shooter’s mother. I feel 98-percent sure hers was a natural death,but there’s that little question because of the situation. I’ve been doing this a long time and nothing like this has happened before. But the cooperation between the departments was outstanding and this went about as well as it could have."

Photo source: The Houston Herald

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