4 dead in US shooting; police search for suspect

HERKIMER, New York (AP) - A man suspected of shooting to death four people and wounding two others was believed to be in an abandoned building surrounded by police Wednesday evening, police said.

Police officers were fired on from the building while looking for 64-year-old Kurt Myers, state police Superintendent Joseph D'Amico said. D'Amico said at least one officer returned fire, but Myers' status was uncertain.

"We're in no rush to bring this to a conclusion," D'Amico said, adding that the main objective was to make sure no one else was hurt.

Police said the rampage started with a fire in Myers' apartment in the village of Mohawk on Wednesday morning. D'Amico said the gunman drove to a barber shop around the corner and used a shotgun shot to kill two customers, whom he identified as Harry Montgomery, 68, and Michael Ransear, 57. The shop's owner, John Seymour, and another customer, Dan Haslauer, were listed in critical condition at a regional hospital.