3 dead, 4 wounded in shootout in central Virginia

[August 23, 2010]  LOUISA, Va. (AP) -- A man involved in a dispute over property and belongings opened fire in a rural neighborhood in central Virginia, killing two people and wounding four others before police fatally shot him.

The gunman began shooting around 5 p.m. Sunday at a mobile home outside of the town of Louisa, said Louisa County sheriff's Maj. Donnie Lowe.

The man had unleashed a pit bull on officers before he and his dog were then killed in a shootout, Lowe said. No officers were injured, he said.

Police said they had responded to a minor incident at the home earlier in the day.

"It appears that this is all a family-related matter," said Sgt. Thomas Molnar, a state police spokesman.

Molnar said the victims' identities weren't immediately released.

The wounded, including one with life-threatening injuries, were transported to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Lowe said. A hospital spokeswoman didn't immediately return a telephone message early Monday.

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Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch, http://www.timesdispatch.com/

[Associated Press]

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