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Violent rampage leaves gunman, 3 other dead

By TIMES WIRES
Published April 30, 2007

KANSAS CITY, MO.

A man driving a dead woman's car shot a police officer, then opened fire in a parking lot and a mall Sunday, authorities said. By the end of the day, four people, including the gunman, were dead. Police shot the gunman to death inside Ward Parkway Center in south Kansas City, police said. The string of violence began early Sunday afternoon, when police found a missing woman dead in her home. Her car was spotted later at a gas station by an officer, who pulled the driver over and was shot in the arm, police said. His wound was not life-threatening. The man later pulled into a parking space at the mall and fired at the cars on either side of him, killing two people. He fired more shots, wounding two people, then went inside the mall, police said. Police did not say how the elderly woman died but said they thought the events were connected.

WAYCROSS, GA.

Workers still trying to contain blaze

Firefighters have managed to contain about 70 percent of the largest wildfire in Georgia history, which had charred 100 square miles of forest and swampland, officials said Sunday. A few families remained evacuated from their homes on the opposite side of U.S. Highway 1 from the main blaze, in an area where smaller spot fires started during the weekend, fire officials said. Wind gusting to 15 mph and extreme drought conditions mean the fire will continue to rage for at least another week, officials said.

MURPHYSBORO, ILL.

Teen threatened shooting, police say

A teenager was in jail Sunday after police said he threatened to shoot people at a high school prom. Shane S. Bramlett, 18, of Ava left a message on his ex-girlfriend's cell phone threatening an attack, police said. Police said they also listened in on a conversation between the two in which Bramlett made a similar threat. The prom was held without incident Saturday amid extra security. Bramlett was charged with making a terrorist threat, intimidation, violating a protection order and telephone harassment, police said Sunday. Bail was set at $100, 000.

Elsewhere

Mira Loma, Calif.: Firefighters on Sunday were putting out embers of a wildfire that charred 158 acres of dense brush in a residential area, officials said. The blaze, which covered about a quarter of a square mile, was contained early Sunday. No homes or structures were damaged, officials said.

Pawnee, Ill.: A natural gas pipeline failed and exploded early Sunday, sending an orange fireball several hundred feet into the air, but caused no injuries, authorities said.

[Last modified April 30, 2007, 00:31:41]