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Five shot dead on the remote Pacific island of Saipan

Rescue team carrying a victim of a shooting incident in Saipan on November 20, 2009
Many people were injured, in addition to the five dead

At least five people have died in a shooting incident on the Pacific island of Saipan.

Eight were wounded in the incident, including a group of South Korean tourists. The gunman was among the dead.

Saipan is part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which is administered by the US.

The islands have a population of 90,000, and lie between Hawaii and the Philippines.

Their economy relies largely on tourism.

'Isolated case'

Saipan's Deputy Governor Eloy Inos told reporters that the shootings were "an unfortunate but isolated case", and the gunman's motive was not clear.

map of the Northern Mariana Islands

"We want to assure the community and our tourists that the commonwealth is still a good place to visit," he said.

The unnamed Asian gunman began by killing four people - including two children under the age of four - at a shooting range. He badly injured several other people.

He is then reported to have driven to Last Command Post Park, a popular tourist destination and the final base of Japan's military commanders during the advance of US troops during World War II.

There he shot several other people - most of whom were South Korean tourists - but none is reported to have died.

He then drove to the Banzai Cliffs on the northern tip of the island, where he shot himself dead, according to police.



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