SAO PAULO, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Five people died early Wednesday morning, including one victim and four armed suspects, in two related shootings in southern Brazil's Parana state, local media reported.

The body of a man who had been shot dead was discovered in a neighborhood of Cornelio Procopio, a city about 380 km from the state capital Curitiba and about 520 km from Brazil's border with Argentina and Paraguay.

The Military Police later located four armed suspects believed to be linked to the case and engaged in a pursuit that ended in a shootout, killing all four.

Police said the suspects opened fire while attempting to flee in a vehicle, which later overturned during the chase.

The bodies of the four men were found inside the car along with two firearms, according to local media. ■