In one of the deadliest shootings Croatia has seen in decades, six people – two men, three women, and a 10-year old child – were killed when a gunman opened fire in a house in Zagreb’s Kajzerica neighbourhood on Thursday evening. The killer committed suicide in the early hours of Friday morning, before he could be arrested, the police reported.

The police was called to the scene at around 9.30 pm on Thursday, by neighbours who said they had heard gunshots and cries.

Upon entering the house, they found six people shot dead, as well as a baby who was alive and unharmed.

After launching a city-wide manhunt, the police reported at around 4 am on Friday that the gunman had committed suicide before he could be arrested, in the Brezovica district in southwest Zagreb.

He had connections with one of the young women, the mother of the baby left alive – they were previously involved and he was the baby’s father, Zagreb police chief Marko Rasic told reporters on Friday morning.

The baby, after being examined in the ER, has been taken into care in one of Zagreb’s welfare centres, Rasic said.

The 10-year old boy who was also killed was the woman’s son from a previous relationship. The other victims were the woman’s parents, her sister, and, according to state news agency Hina, her sister’s partner. Local media described the killings as an act of jealousy.

The weapon used by the killer was obtained illegally, the police chief added.

“The motive remains unclear. A few minutes ago we completed an investigation on the scene of the gunman’s suicide, but the criminal investigation is still ongoing and we will see where it leads us,” Rasic said.

This story is developing and will be updated.