Six dead in US shooting spree

ALGER, WASHINGTON // A terrifying shooting spree that stretched from a small Washington town onto the state's busiest motorway left six people dead and at least two more wounded. State Patrol said that Skagit County sheriff's deputy, identified as Anne Jackson, 40, was killed during the incident. Troy Giddings, a Washington State Patrol trooper, was grazed on the arm by a bullet while trying to catch the shooter on Interstate 5. He drove himself to the hospital and was later released. A suspect in the shootings, a recently released convict with a history of mental illness, has surrendered. Officials from the state department of corrections identified the man as Isaac Zamora, 28. He had served a six-month Skagit County jail sentence for drug possession. Mr Zamora was released on Aug 6 and was under community supervision by corrections officers, spokesman Chad Lewis said. The state corrections secretary Eldon Vail said Mr Zamora had reported as instructed and passed tests for drug and alcohol use. "I want to extend our profound sorrow and heartfelt sympathy for the victims of the shootings in Skagit County," Mr Vail said in a statement. Mr Zamora's mother, Dennise, said she had tried repeatedly to get help for her son, whom she described as "desperately mentally ill". "We're so devastated for the families," she said. "I wish it would have been him or me that was killed. That's how deeply I feel about it." Mrs Zamora described the deputy, Ms Jackson, as a sympathetic figure who had tried to help the family in the past. "She was very gracious. She knew exactly what we were going through, said her brother was going through some similar stuff." Washington State Governor Chris Gregoire called for an independent third-party review to be led by the head of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs and a prosecutor to be appointed by the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. "I will be directing them to look into how this case was handled and provide an initial report to me within 10 days," Ms Gregoire said last night. She asked for a thorough review of the man's files. The other victims have not been identified. The dead were found at multiple crime scenes. They included the deputy, Ms Jackson, who was shot responding to a call and a second person killed at the same location near the small town of Alger. Two construction workers were found shot nearby and a third body was found a few houses away, said trooper, Keith Leary. A motorist was shot and killed on Interstate 5 as the suspect fled south. The wounded included a motorcyclist who was shot in the arm at a Shell gas station in Alger and state trooper, Mr Giddings, who was hit as the suspect raced along I-5. After the shootings in the Alger area, the armed man raced south on Interstate 5 at speeds in excess of 145 kph, with troopers, sheriff's deputies and Mount Vernon police in pursuit, Mr Leary said. The first shootings were reported shortly after 2pm local time yesterday. The suspect was in custody by about 4.30pm. All southbound lanes of I-5 north of Burlington were closed temporarily on Tuesday night so that police could investigate the crime scene. * AP