Warsaw, Nov 25 (IANS): A 32-year-old man fatally shot his parents and brother during a family gathering before barricading himself in a house with a woman and two children in southwestern Poland, local authorities reported on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday afternoon in Namyslow, a town in the southwestern Opole Province, according to a statement from the Provincial Police Headquarters.

The woman managed to escape and alerted the authorities. Despite attempts to negotiate, police were forced to storm the house, successfully rescuing the two children unharmed. During the intervention, the man took his own life. The woman and children are under medical care and reported to be in stable condition.

Although the perpetrator used a legally owned firearm, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) confirmed that he was not affiliated with law enforcement or the military.

An investigation, led by police and the prosecutor's office, is underway to determine the motives and full circumstances of the tragedy, Xinhua news agency reported.