Muzaffarpur, Sept. 3: A 40-year-old man who lost his job two months ago went on a shooting spree in his village this afternoon, killing his two minor daughters and three of his neighbours before turning the gun on himself.

Satendra Kumar (40), who was known as Golden in his village of Baniya in Muzaffarpur district, around 75km north of Patna, was sacked from his job in a cold storage and nursed a grudge against a neighbour. Golden used to earn a salary of Rs 3,500 per month.

The killings were reminiscent of shooting sprees in the United States where such incidents are common because of the easy availability of firearms.

But in a small and dusty village like Baniya, the shootings have come as a shock, especially because the man responsible for it had no previous record of criminal activity.

Neighbours said Golden was disturbed ever since he lost his job and blamed his neighbour, 66-year-old Hari Narayan Singh, for his predicament.

Around 12 noon today, Golden reached Hari's house and engaged in a heated exchange with him, blaming the elderly man for his misfortune.

Hari refuted the allegations and asked Golden to leave him alone. This angered Golden, who whipped out a gun he had hidden in his clothes and shot at his neighbour.

As Hari collapsed dead, Golden began his shooting spree. He aimed his gun at Hari's wife Laxmi Devi (60) and servant Shiv Dayal Mahto (50), who were standing nearby. Both died on the spot.

That was not the end of the blood-letting. Golden rushed to his house, still brandishing his gun. He looked for his wife, who, sensing foul play, had fled. Not finding her, Golden caught hold of his two minor daughters, Goldie (8) and Bulbul (6), and shot them dead one by one. He spared his old mother, though.

Neighbours said Golden had a problem with his wife too. Their ties were strained and she used to frequently run away from home. Golden was worried for his daughters, his elderly mother and the running of the household since losing his job. His wife is yet to be traced since the incident.

By the time residents reached Golden's house, hearing the gun shots, the disturbed man had shot himself in the chest and was lying in a pool of blood.

Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajit Kumar Mishra said Golden used to work at a cold storage owned by one Raja Babu and was sacked two months ago. Since losing the job, he was a sad reflection of his former self, looking lost and distant. They were literally at the mercy of well-wishers for their meals.

In his heydays, he had earned the name Golden for his handsome looks and good personality.

Ghanshyam Mahto, a resident of Baniya, said Golden had been sacked after the owner suspected him of having stolen some things from the store. "Golden tried to convince Raja Babu he had no role in the thefts, but it did not help," Ghanshyam said.

Sudesh Lal, another resident of the village, said Golden suspected Hari - who looked after farmhouses and agricultural plots owned by Raja - of having instigated the boss against him.

Sudesh said he saw Golden going towards Hari's house on Thursday afternoon but never suspected he was carrying a gun and would kill him.

Hari's son Rajan Singh said his father had become the victim of wrong information fed to Golden. "Some people appear to have convinced Golden that my father was instrumental for his sacking. We never expected he would take such an extreme step." Hari's elder son Ram Babu Singh works outside Bihar.

Police are camping in the village fearing trouble. Residents appeared divided into two groups, one having sympathy for Golden's family and the other siding with Raja Babu and Hari's family. Residents had gathered in large numbers outside Golden and Hari Narayan's houses. The situation in the village was tense at the time of filing the report.

SSP Mishra said the residents relented only after he persuaded them to allow the police to take the bodies away for post-mortem. Police though are still clueless how Golden got hold of the gun, a country-made pistol, better known as katta.

"We are trying to locate Raja Babu and Golden's wife. We hope to get some clues from them," a police officer deputed at Baniya village under Saraiya police station said.

But sources said getting hold of a gun in the region, known to be a Maoist hotbed, was no big deal.