5 dead, including suspect, in shooting south of Seattle, police say

Updated 2:30 p.m. ET

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. Gunfire erupted at an apartment complex in a city south of Seattle and five people were shot to death, including a suspect who was shot by arriving officers, police said early Monday.

Officers responding to an emergency call at 9:30 p.m. PDT Sunday at the apartments in Federal Way encountered a chaotic scene, with bullets flying.

"When officers arrived there were still shots being fired," said Federal Way police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock.

They found two wounded men on the ground in a parking lot. One of the men reached for a gun as police moved in to assist the two, she said.

At that point, officers opened fire. The suspect died but police said it wasn't immediately clear if it was from their gunfire.

The other man on the ground and a third man in the parking lot were found dead.

In a search of the complex, police found a fourth man dead in one apartment and a slain woman in another unit. Schrock said police were trying to determine if the woman was hit by a stray bullet.

A total of eight officers fired their weapons, Schrock said. All have been placed on administrative leave, per standard policy, as the investigation continues.

There was no immediate word what set off the shooting. Police scheduled a briefing for late Monday morning.

"We still don't have any idea what started this disturbance tonight," Schrock said.

A witness who declined to be identified told CBS affiliate KIRO-TV that she was caught in the middle of the gun battle.

"I got out of my car and shut the door, and before I got out of my car, I heard voices ... and then the guy started toward me, and then the shots started," she said.

After police flooded the area and carried out searches, authorities said they were confident there were no more casualties from the shooting.

They said they did not think another shooter was on the loose or that there was an immediate threat to the public.

By dawn, a King County medical examiner's office truck arrived at the scene to pick up bodies. Crime scene investigators continued working. One officer was seen carrying books and a gun to what appeared to be an evidence van.

There were no reports of any officers being injured. The names of the five people killed were not immediately available.

Federal Way is about 20 miles south of Seattle.