April 24: Police investigate the scene at a house in Manchester where five people were found killed. The suspect, who was not immediately identified by police, died at a hospital after a shootout with police. (AP/The State Journal-Register)
The suspect police say shot and killed five people early Wednesday morning inside a Manchester, Ill., home died at an area hospital after he exchanged gunfire with arresting officers, police told FoxNews.com.
The relationship between the suspect and his victims remains unclear, but police say the shooting occurred shortly after a prior pursuit. There were initial reports of a high-speed chase, but those reports are erroneous, police said.
Police said there is "no reason to believe there are any other suspects at this time."
Illinois State Police investigators say the suspect had several weapons with him when he was taken into custody.
An injured six-year-old girl was found inside the one-story apartment after the shooting and taken to an area hospital. Her injuries were not immediately known.
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The Chicago Tribune identified the victims as a grandmother, a young couple and their two young children.
A person who identified himself as the son-in-law of one of the victims, told the paper, "The guy broke into the house. I couldn't tell you about the guy, never met him, never seen him, never talked to him. He apparently broke into the home of my wife's mother and shot everybody inside."
Manchester Mayor Ronald Drake said he got the call around 4:45 a.m., indicating that there had been a shooting with multiple fatalities, Fox2Now.com reports.
He told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the victims "lived in federal housing and it's hard to keep up" with their identities because there is so much turnover of residents there.
Illinois State Police spokeswoman Monique Bond says the victims were found early Wednesday morning in the southwestern Illinois community, 50 miles west of Springfield.
A school superintendent in the area says he was informed by sheriffs early Wednesday morning that the victims had been shot to death. Les Stevens of the North Greene School District says he canceled classes because authorities warned him at the time that the suspect was at large. The district has since been informed that the man was captured.
Classes were canceled in three area school districts: Northgreene, Winchester and Jacksonville. Approximately 950 students are affected.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report
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