An Afghan war veteran killed three people in a shooting spree in central France, before turning his gun on himself.

       The tragic incident happened on Saturday evening in the village of Vozelle at a private family gathering.

       Family members were celebrating the 20th birthday of a young man, when a former military sniper suddenly appeared on a path leading to the house and opened fire.

       The local prosecutor Jerome Picques told AFP that the gunman, 57, "opened fire several hundred metres away from his home towards that of his neighbours".

       The victims included the young man celebrating his birthday as well as his father, 53, and godfather, 54.

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       Four others were wounded and rushed to a hospital in Vichy.

       Michel Marien, the mayor of Espinasse-Vozelle, said the shooter was a former soldier who had taken part in "major conflicts, like Afghanistan, and as a sniper".

       "There was obviously an abundance of weapons in his home," he told the local daily La Montagne.

       He described the incident as "devastating", saying the whole community was in total shock.

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       "We can't prepare for it. It's dramatic. It's a shock, it's a family tragedy that affects the entire community.

       "We feel helpless. My action is to bring cohesion... Now, I feel powerless."

       The scene of the shooting has been sealed off by police, who have opened an official investigation.

       The community had been celebrating a local festival that involved a firework display at the time of the incident.