Investigators look over the scene at a Lyon's restaurant near Grass Valley, Calif., where a gunman opened fire and killed the manager and wounded another person on Wednesday.

NEVADA CITY, Calif., Jan. 10 — Police were searching for a gunman who opened fire at two locations Wednesday in Nevada County, killing three people and wounding two others. The shootings took place at a county municipal building and a restaurant, authorities said.

SHERIFF KEITH ROYAL said authorities believe the same person was responsible for both incidents, which happened about 10 minutes apart shortly before noon, but were awaiting futher evidence.

No suspects were immediately arrested, Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal said. A manhunt was under way around Nevada City, a community of 2,800 in the Sierra foothills 50 miles northeast of Sacramento.

Two people were slain at a county social services building, and a 37-year-old woman was wounded. She had multiple wounds and was in critical condition at a hospital Wednesday afternoon.

Shortly after the building slayings, a gunman went into a Lyon’s restaurant between Nevada City and Grass Valley, killed the restaurant manager and wounded another person, Royal said.

The fifth shooting victim was in surgery at Sierra Nevada Hospital in Grass Valley, spokesman Gary Cooke said. Another person trying to escape from the county building suffered a broken leg jumping from a window, Royal said.

The suspect was described as a heavy Caucasian in his 50s with a beard, wearing a red or red plaid jacket and carrying a blue backpack, KCRA-TV reported.

Sources told NBC News that there have been several sightings of the suspect, including at the local newspaper, where he allegedly threatened someone.

‘DARK DAY FOR OUR COUNTY’

No names were immediately released, but at least two of the dead worked for the rural county of 90,000 people, county board Chairwoman Elizabeth Martin said.

“It is a dark day for our county. I’m here to express our deep grief and horror at this loss to our community and offer our condolences to the families,” she said.

Ted Christensen, a manager at the Video Library across the street from Lyon’s, said he saw several people running out of the restaurant, ducking behind cars and running across the street to hide. He ducked behind his own car.

“I’ve lived in this town for 18 years and I’ve never heard of anyone going on this kind of shooting spree,” Christensen said.

Several Lyon’s employees gathered at a nearby restaurant and watched the television news, shielded from reporters. Some did not want to leave until they received more information about what happened, said the Rev. Sandi Clifford, the Placer County chaplain.

Lyon’s was bringing in counselors to talk to the employees, Clifford said. A Lyon’s regional manager at the scene declined to comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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