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A gunman rampaged through a Swiss village, killing three people and wounding two before being shot by police.

The man had reportedly been drinking heavily and was armed with weapons including an assault rifle when he launched the attack in Daillon shortly before 9pm yesterday.

He is said to be a drug addict and former mental health patient with a history of gun possession.

Police exchanged fire with the attacker, who has not been named, and wounded him. He was detained and is being treated in hospital. Police spokesman Jean-Marie Bornet said: “It wasn’t easy to intervene in the darkness.

“The gunman turned his weapon on the officers, who had to shoot him in order not to be injured themselves. There is incomprehension and shock here. The toll is very, very heavy. It’s a sombre start to the year.”

General prosecutor Catherine Sappey said the man fired about 20 shots, using weapons including a hunting gun and an army carbine dating back to the first half of the 20th century. Other reports said he had an assault rifle.

The man lived in Daillon, in the canton of Valais, not far from the French border. Witnesses said he was 30. His motive is unclear but authorities said he was related to some of his victims, including a couple with two children. The woman died and the man is in hospital. The dead victims have not been named but were 32, 54 and 79.

Police confiscated weapons from the man in 2005 when he was placed in a psychiatric ward, Ms Sappey said. At the time “he was not known for having issued threats”, she added.

There are an estimated two to three million guns in circulation in Switzerland, where shooting and hunting are popular sports. But gun attacks are rare. The exact number of guns is not known because there is no national firearms register. All those serving in the army are allowed to store their semi-automatic assault rifle at home.