Missouri: two monks shot dead

Two Benedictine monks were shot dead by a gunman in Missouri yesterday. The 71 year-old later took his own life. Two others were wounded in the incident, a church spokesman said. The killings took place at Conception Abbey Benedictine monastery, 130 kilometres north of Kansas City. Conception Abbey is also home to the largest in the Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph. The college lists a staff of 19 priests, eight brothers, one sister, six lay professors and student body of 97. Ronda Strueby, a supervisor in the packaging department of the abbey's printing house, told the Associated Press that the employees were evacuated at about 9am local time. She said one of the monks had warned residents that there was man in the building with a gun, and people had been told to evacuate the building.