Motive sought in fatal shootings of police, homeowners

Police officers stand guard at the site where the shooting occured in Xishibao village of Suning county, Cangzhou city, North China's Hebei province, June 9, 2015. [Photo/IC]

The Ministry of Public Security released a statement on Wednesday expressing sadness over the deaths of two police officers who were shot on Tuesday during a manhunt for a gunman in Suning, Hebei province.

Condolences were also expressed about the suicide of the wife of one of the slain officers. The woman jumped from the sixth floor of a hotel at about 4 am on Wednesday, according to the Cangzhou Public Security Department.

Her action was apparently triggered by grief over the death of her husband, police officer Xue Yongqing, 48, Beijing News reported. The second officer was Yuan Shuai, 34.

Both officers, who worked at the Suning county Public Security Bureau, were shot with a double-barrel shotgun by Liu Shuangrui of Xishibao, in Suning, which is administered by Cangzhou.

Later, police found Liu dead on the roof of his house. His death is being investigated.

Besides Xue and Yuan, the gunman also killed two local residents. Five others were injured in Xishibao and are now in stable condition.

According to Yang Chunyang, head of the county's criminal police force, who responded to the shooting, Liu entered four homes and shot the owners on Monday night.

During the subsequent shootout between Liu and the police, four officers were wounded. Xue and Yuan died later in a hospital.

Investigators want to know where Liu obtained the shotgun and ammunition, and what his motive was for the crimes, the police said. A preliminary investigation revealed no conflicts between Liu and the victims.

Villagers said Liu once suffered from schizophrenia, but that has not been confirmed.

Police officer Xue had been a hard worker since 1990, according to the bureau. He is survived by his parents and his wife's parents, all of whom are elderly, and a child who is studying at a university. Yuan had a 3-year-old daughter, authorities said.

Internet users expressed sympathy for the families of the victims and acknowledged that a policeman's job is dangerous. People should understand and support them, netizens said.

Micro-blogger "simmy918" asked whether sufficient support had been provided that might have prevented the death of Xue's wife. Another micro-blogger, "Yuchenqu", said the police should have been equipped with bulletproof vests and helmets when hunting for the shooter.

Zhang Yu and Pei Pei in Shijiazhuang contributed to this story.