3 DEAD, 4 HURT IN LONG BEACH STORE SHOOTING.

Byline: Staff and Wire Services

LONG BEACH - A gunman opened fire inside a grocery store Thursday, killing a woman and a child and wounding four other people before being shot by police officers, authorities said.

Officers responding to a call of shots fired at a Top Valu Market near the downtown marina found the gunman inside and the six people already shot, said police spokeswoman Nancy Tabing.

The officers opened fire, striking the gunman an unknown number of times, she said.

The man, whose name was not released, was taken to a hospital where he later died, authorities said.

Two victims died at the scene. One of those who died was a 7-year-old girl, said police Sgt. Steve Filippini. The other was a woman. Authorities said they didn't know if the two were related.

Four others were hospitalized in stable condition. Their names and ages were not immediately available.

The shooting broke out shortly before 5:30 p.m., Tabing said. It was not immediately known if it was the result of a robbery attempt.

``That's the question of the day,'' Filippini said. ``There's no indication there was a robbery, but we're not ruling that out.''

Police said the man, armed with two guns, walked into the store and opened fire about 5:30 p.m.

Shelley Hamilton was waiting for her husband when she heard several shots.

``Oh my God, they were loud, scary gunshots,'' Hamilton said.