A married couple shot dead three people and killed themselves in Las Vegas yesterday after declaring a "revolution".
The husband and wife, believed to be in their late 20s, have been described as white supremacists obsessed with conspiracy theories.
They shot two police officers, named as Alyn Beck, 41, and Igor Soldo, 31, both of whom had young families, as they ate lunch at a pizza restaurant just before 11.30am. Witnesses told police that one of the shooters shouted "this is a revolution" before opening fire.
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The couple reportedly stripped the officers of their weapons, ammunition and badges, before covering them with the Gadsden flag, a Revolutionary War-era banner featuring a coiled snake and the words "Don't Tread on Me". The flag traditionally represents the US military, but more recently it has come to be seen as a symbol of the Tea Party movement, says the Washington Post.
After killing the police officers, the pair went across the street and into a Walmart, where they killed a woman, who is yet to be named. The female suspect then shot the male suspect before turning the gun on herself.
Police and FBI agents found white supremacist paraphernalia, including swastikas, in the couple's apartment, around four miles from the crime scene, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
One neighbour described the pair as "militant" and said they talked about planning to kill police officers, "going underground" and not coming out until the time was right to kill.
Another neighbour said the husband often wore camouflage or dressed as Peter Pan to work as a street performer at Fremont Street Experience, a downtown tourist attraction. He said they were "weird people" and believed they used methamphetamines.
Sheriff Douglas Gillespie of Clark County described it as a "tragic day" and paid tribute to the three victims.