Gunman surrenders after killing 8 people in Virginia shootout

The 39-year-old man identified as Christopher Speight was surrounded by police posse in a wooded enclave after he shot dead eight people in Appomattox in southern Virginia.
The suspect also shot at the helicopter that was called to the scene of the crime forcing it to make emergency landing. However, no policemen on board were injured.

The drama unfolded around noon when a deputy Sheriff responding to a distress call found a man shot and as he was examining him, he heard more shots.

As the man was airlifted to hospital where he died of gun shot wounds, police found several other victims of the gunman in nearby houses. Police did not identify the victims, saying they were both men and women.

Police, who were using sniffer dogs and heat seeking equipments in helicopters, said the gunman approached officers at the crime scene later and turned himself in.

A motive for the attacks was not immediately clear.