Sonny Archuleta Identified as Gunman in Second Aurora Shooting, 4 Deaths Including Shooter (LIVE Updates)

Three people were killed in addition to a gunman after a gunfire-heavy hostage incident in Aurora, Colorado, the same town where a shooter killed 12 and wounded 58 at a premiere of Dark Knight Rises in July, reports Reuters.

After several hours of failed negotiation, police fired tear gas canisters into a suburban home before breaching the residence and shooting the gunman dead, according to media. Three people – believed to be the gunman’s family – were found slain by gunfire in the house.

Police became aware of the emergency sometime in the early morning and notified neighbors by 3 AM of the situation, evacuating several blocks. One resident of the home was able to escape via a window and notify emergency services, KUSA television said.

The suspect began shooting at police vehicles around 8 AM, leading to an exchange of gunfire. It was at that point that authorities first saw a lifeless corpse in the building.

Aurora most recently made news six months ago for the mass shooting on July 20th, 2012, in which an unstable man, James Holmes, killed a dozen people and injured countless more using a shotgun, semi-automatic rifle, handgun and a gas canister.

“We're just getting in there with our crime scene detectives, so obviously we'll have to determine if it was our rounds or his rounds,” said Police Sgt. Cassidee Carlson. “This is a big investigation, and a lot is entailed.”