One killed, 12 injured in U.S. multiple shootings

LOS ANGELES, June 17 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and 12 others wounded in a series of shootings in several places in the Phoenix metropolitan area in U.S. state of Arizona on Thursday afternoon, and the suspect has been arrested by the police.

According to Peoria Police Department, which led the investigation, the shootings happened at eight locations throughout the West Valley cities in the Phoenix metropolitan area and lasted more than one and a half hours.

Four of the 13 victims injured in the incidents were struck by a bullet and nine other victims were injured but not physically shot, Brandon Sheffert, a spokesperson for Peoria Police Department said in a briefing.

He said that the suspect was found during a traffic stop in the city of Surprise, where the suspect surrendered to policemen without incident.

So far, police was still investigating the suspect's motive.

A spokesperson for Banner Health told local ABC15 news channel Thursday afternoon that they received a total of nine patients at three of their hospitals related to the shootings, which they referred to as a drive-by shooting incident.

Both Peoria and Surprise are major suburbs of Phoenix. The two cities are 15 km apart.