Suspect and four others dead after standoff in Washington state

Five people are dead, including a suspect, following a shooting and standoff with police at a home in Washington state, the Seattle Times newspaper reported on Friday, citing Mason County authorities.

The male suspect "apparently came outside the home and shot himself," Mason County Sheriff Casey Salisbury told the newspaper. "It's a terrible tragedy."

The newspaper quoted Mason County Sheriff Deputy Chief Ryan Spurling as saying that a man called law enforcement on Friday morning and reported that he shot two children, a woman and another person.

Police surrounded the home near the community of Belfair, about 35 miles (60 km) west of Seattle, but did not immediately enter the residence because the man was armed with a handgun, Spurling said, according to the newspaper.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)