AT least six people have died in a series of shootings in the US state of Mississippi, local investigators say.
All the victims were in close proximity to each other in the small town of Arkabutla, about 45 miles (72km) south of Memphis, in neighbouring Tennessee.
Three victims were found dead inside two houses, while others were found inside a store, in a car and on a roadway.
Police confirmed to BBC News they have a suspected gunman in custody.
The state bureau of investigation is assisting local police with the investigation.
The man is believed to have acted alone, although his motive is not yet known, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves tweeted on Friday.
“I will ensure that the full resources of the state are available to law enforcement as we continue to investigate the situation,” Mr Reeves wrote.
The gunman first entered a local store and shot a man around 11:00 local time (17:00 GMT), Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance told Action News 5.
He then went to a nearby home where he shot a woman dead and injured her husband, the sheriff said.
Mr Lance added that deputies spotted the suspect inside a car matching witnesses’ descriptions and were able to apprehend the suspect after a brief car chase.
The car chase reportedly ended when the suspect pulled into the driveway of a home on Arkabutla Dam Road that is believed to be where he lives.
Police went on to find four more victims on the same roadway, two found inside a home and two others outside, reports said.
The suspect was “dressed in camouflage with a long gun”, an eye-witness told local reporter Kelli Cook.
A primary and secondary school in nearby Coldwater were placed in lockdown during the incident. All students in both schools are safe, the Coldwater Elementary School said on its Facebook page.
Another witness – Ethan Chase, a 19-year-old local resident – told WREG-TV that he had seen the gun-toting suspect and that he came outside to check the pulse of the victim who died inside their vehicle.
