One reported dead in Washington City shooting

WASHINGTON CITY – A man was reported dead after a Tuesday night shooting in Washington City, about two to three blocks from the Washington City Community Center.

Law enforcement officers are on scene investigating the incident reported at about 7:45 p.m. in the 800 block of Colony Circle. Information on the man's identity was not made immediately available.

The shooting happened shortly after reports of several shots being fired in a St. George neighborhood – police radio traffic at the time of the incident indicated someone had reported a man wearing a bullet-proof vest had fired a shotgun at a residence in the 2450 East area.

Washington City Police Chief Jim Keith said the incident began as a domestic dispute in St. George.

A man involved in the dispute drove to the Washington City residence, which belongs to his parents, and reportedly killed himself.

A neighbor in the Washington City neighborhood who asked not to be identified said she heard what she thought was a backfire and didn't think anything of it initially because she "hears them all the time."

But within two minutes, she heard five back-to-back bursts that she identified as gunshots.

She called the police, and while on the phone with a dispatcher said she heard people screaming and three more gunshots, she said.

She reported what she heard to the dispatcher, and then heard one more shot, she said.

"I knew somebody had gone down, because there was a bloodcurdling scream. I'm a girl, so I know what kind of scream that was," the woman said.

Keith said there is no other shooting victim and that no one other than the alleged shooter has been killed as a result of the incident.

Keith did say several shots were fired in the parents' home and that there were other people visiting with the family at the time.

St. George Police Lt. Thad Feltner said officers were called to the area of 2450 East on reports of shots being fired in a separate incident. He said when officers arrived at the location, radio traffic began to broadcast the incident in Washington City.

Feltner reported no injuries or fatalities in the St. George shooting, adding authorities believe the two incidents are related.

Detectives and uniformed officers remained at the scene late Tuesday night.

Washington County Sheriff's deputies helped with traffic control at the scene in Washington City, closing the dead-end street to all but immediate neighbors once the danger was determined to be over.

The neighbor reported that shortly after the shooting, she saw four or five officers with their tactical rifles drawn run up to the house and break into it, she said.

She said about two hours earlier, there were Boy Scouts in the neighborhood handing out bags for a food drive. She was glad none of them were still on the street when the incident happened, she said.

Weeping people were evacuated from the parents' residence to nearby Cottonmill Ave.

The location is about one block from a double murder that occurred in February 2011 for which neighborhood resident Richard "Rick" Jones was convicted and sentenced last year. One of the victims was shot in the home's driveway, frightening neighbors.

Jones is serving two consecutive life sentences in prison. He filed an appeal in December.

Follow Therresa Worthington and Kevin Jenkins on Twitter, @TherresaW and @SpectrumJenkins.

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