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7 Dead in Calif. Post Office Shooting

Tuesday, January 31, 2006


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(01-31) 04:26 PST GOLETA, Calif. (AP) --


A female ex-postal worker opened fire at a mail processing plant, killing six people before committing suicide, authorities said early Tuesday.


One other person was listed in critical condition, authorities said.


Deputies responding to a call of shots fired late Monday initially found two people dead outside the plant.


Two wounded women were located inside and were taken to a hospital. One died and the other was listed in critical condition early Tuesday with a gunshot wound to the head.


During a search of the massive mail complex, deputies found four additional bodies, including one believed to be the female shooter, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Anderson said. The shooter, who was not identified, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, he said.


"We do not believe there is any additional threat to the community," Anderson said.


Postal employee Charles Kronick told KEYT-TV in Santa Barbara that he was inside the building when shots rang out. Some 50 to 60 employees were seen running from the plant.


"I heard something that sounded like a pop, and then I heard a couple seconds later, another pop, pop, pop," Kronick said.


His boss came running over and told him to get out of the building, Kronick said, adding "We all hightailed it out real quick."


The victims' names were not immediately released. Sheriffs' Sgt. Erik Raney said all the victims were believed to be current employees.


The postal station is located just a few blocks from the University of California, Santa Barbara, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles.