Shooting in Swiss village kills three and injures two

GENEVA, Switzerland – A shooting in the small, Swiss mountain village of Daillon has left three people dead and two injured.

The attack occured Wednesday night around 9 pm in the canton of Valais 60 miles east of Geneva, said the BBC.

The 30-year-old man was said to be a former drug addict and had previously been a mental health patient.

Le Matin said the attacker began firing off rounds randomly on a street in the village before he was shot by police.

The attacker was injured and taken to hospital in nearby Sion.

BBC reported that the shooter may have known two of the victims, a couple with children, yet the motives still remain unclear.

A press conference was held Thursday morning by prosecutors and police who said that the man fired off 20 rounds before he was subdued.

It is believed that three weapons were used in the attack: a hunting rifle and an army rifle that many Swiss keep in their homes as a part of a Swiss citizen's military obligations.

The other weapon type is unknown.

Police said that his military weapon had been confiscated in 2005, reported Reuters.

It is still unclear how he got his hands on the weapons.

Gun ownership is high in the alpine country and shooting is a popular sport.

It is estimated that two to three million guns are in circulation in Switzerland, which has a population of nearly eight million.

Switzerland's militia-style army also means many people are obligated to keep military weapons in their homes.