Four dead in second rare shooting in South Korea

Four dead in second rare shooting in South Korea

SEOUL - Four people, including a policeman, were killed on Friday in the second shooting incident in two days in South Korea where gun crime is extremely rare.

A 75-year-old man, armed with a hunting rifle, shot dead his brother, the brother's wife and a policeman who responded to an emergency call, Yonhap news agency said.

The gunman then turned the weapon on himself.

Police told Yonhap that the shooting in Hwaseong City, around 40 km southwest of Seoul, appeared to have been motivated by a family dispute over money.

The incident came two days after a man shot dead three people in a convenience store which he then torched in an apparent revenge attack on the family of his former lover in the southern city of Sejong.

In that case, the gunman also committed suicide.

South Korea's tough gun control laws effectively outlaw ownership of firearms by most civilians.

Rare exceptions are allowed for hunters but they must deposit their rifles at local police stations.

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