国际英语新闻:4 dead, 3 injured in Louisiana shooting rampage

HOUSTON, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Four people were shot dead including the suspected shooter and three others were injured in a shooting rampage in the U.S. state of Louisiana, local media reported Friday.

The shootings happened Thursday night at four locations in two parishes about 45 miles (72 km) southwest of New Orleans, the website of Houmatoday.com reported.

A man called Ben Edward Freeman allegedly killed his wife, his ex-wife's mother, and the head of a hospital where he had worked before killing himself. Freeman's ex-wife's father, sister and wife of the hospital CEO were injured, two critically, according to the report.

Authorities said Freeman first entered his former in-law's residence and opened fire to the family. His ex-wife was not at home then and escaped the shooting.

Immediately after, Freeman drove some 15 miles (24 km) to the hospital CEO's home and shot the couple. Freeman once worked in the hospital as a registered nurse before being terminated in 2011.

Parked along a highway before midnight, Freeman shot himself in the head with the same shotgun used in the slayings, police said.

The search for Freeman led authorities to his home, where they found his wife dead in the bathtub. Her cause of death hasn't been determined, but Freeman is suspected of killing her as well, police said.

Police described a "difficult" custody conflict between Freeman and his ex-wife. He has pleaded guilty to harassment charges and had multiple protective orders filed by his ex-wife.

Police did not comment on why Freeman was terminated from the hospital, but recalled an incident where police were summoned to the hospital after Freeman had damaged a room in the hospital. He told police then he would seek mental help.