Two murder suspects in eastern China gunned down three policemen and injured nine other people in a dramatic shoot-out on Tuesday, state media reported.
Police in Shandong province's Dezhou city had called on the house of a suspect's brother to investigate a murder that took place late December, the Shandong News website — owned by the provincial government — reported.
Police identified themselves and attempted to go in, but two people burst out and started firing their guns, hitting four policemen, the report said.
The suspects then hijacked a passing car at gunpoint to escape. After changing vehicles four times and injuring two passengers in the process, they were finally cornered on a street.
Police managed to capture one of the suspects, while the other committed suicide, the report added.
The city's police department was not immediately available for comment when contacted by AFP.
Crime rates have risen steadily in China since the country began opening up three decades ago, undergoing dramatic social changes.
But gun crime still remains rare in the country, where extremely tight laws bar virtually all private gun ownership, which prevents death tolls from reaching levels seen in shooting attacks in other nations.
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