Man Slays Woman, Then Commits Suicide

Man slays woman,

then commits suicide

VANCOUVER, Wash.

A man shot and killed one woman and wounded a second woman before turning his gun on himself after confronting police officers outside a convenience store early yesterday, authorities said.

Acting Police Chief Bob King said the gunman, Monte Shepherd, 35, of Vancouver, died after shooting himself in the head. King identified the dead woman as Lisa Leach, 27, of Lake Oswego, Ore.

King said Shepherd and Leach had an ``on-again, off-again'' romantic relationship.

Brynne Huntting, 27, of Wilsonville, Ore., described by King as a friend of Leach's, was in good condition yesterday in Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver. She was shot three times, King said.

According to police, as the women were leaving Shepherd's apartment in Huntting's car, Shepherd fired his gun through the passenger's side window, hitting both women. The two women stopped at a convenience store about a mile away. While Huntting ran inside and asked the clerk to call police, Shepherd followed the women to the store. King said Shepherd went to Huntting's car and shot and killed Leach.

Shepherd then went inside the store and fired repeatedly at Huntting as police were arriving. Shepherd then killed himself.