THE DEATH TOLL IN today’s shooting attack in Bratislava has risen to eight. Another dozen people were injured in the assault, including a three-year-old child.

The gunman killed seven people before turning his gun on himself and committing suicide. He was carrying an illegally obtained assault rifle, two other guns, and a lot of ammunition, according to the head of Slovakia’s police, Jaroslav Spisiak.

One police officer was wounded, but is in stable condition in hospital. One patient is in critical condition, and three others are seriously injured.

Six of the fatalities are believed to be from the same family. Police responding to reports of a shooting in an apartment in Bratislava, saw the gunman leaving the scene. They discovered four women and one man dead inside an apartment, and another man dead in the hallway.

The gunman then began shooting at police, who surrounded him. He has not been identified yet, and the motive for the attack remains unclear.

[caption id="attachment_16713" align="alignnone" width="511" caption="Children look at a covered body on street after an unknown man opened fire killing a number of people and wounding almost a dozen in Devinska Nova Ves district of Bratislava. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)"][/caption]