8 killed, 5 injured in random shooting in southern Egypt

Eight people were killed and five others were injured when a man opened fire at random in southern Egypt, according to officials and local media reports. The suspect was later killed in a shootout with security forces.

The shooting was reported on Monday in Abu Tig, a city in Assiut Governorate, about 200 miles south of Cairo. Police received reports that a man was firing randomly in the area, according to local media citing Egypt’s Interior Ministry.

Officials said the attack left eight people dead and five others injured. No details were immediately released about the victims or the conditions of the injured.

Security forces identified the suspect and tracked him to farmland outside the city, where he exchanged fire with officers, the ministry said. He was killed during the shootout.

The motive was not immediately known, but the Interior Ministry said the suspect had previously received treatment for mental health issues at a psychiatric hospital in Cairo.