Wyoming care home gunman upset at 'damned poker gambling'

Police outside of the senior citizens complex in Cheyenne

A 77-year-old man has shot three people at the senior citizens' complex where he lived in the US state of Wyoming, killing one person and wounding two.

Larry Rosenberg, who was armed with a rifle and a handgun, was upset about a poker game at the facility in the city of Cheyenne, said another resident.

The suspect fled the scene by bicycle, killing himself as police closed in.

Shootings are rare in the city - police handled a total of six homicide cases last year.

Mary Eastman, 80, said Rosenberg left a suicide note with her that morning.

"His problem really was that damned poker gambling," she said, referring to card games in the home's common room.

"That was it. That was all he complained about."

Police have confirmed that they are examining a "letter of discontent" by the gunman, but they did not disclose further details.

Investigators said all the victims were known to Rosenberg, and there had been a "long-standing animosity" between the men.

Mrs Eastman's daughter told local media that Rosenberg had become more withdrawn recently at the Heritage Court Apartments complex.

"He started getting more and more distant, complaining about the facility and about people and just kind of pulling away, isolating himself more and more," said the daughter.

Schools in Cheyenne were placed on lockdown for a brief time.

Cheyenne, the capital of Wyoming, has a population of 60,000.