Four dead after gunfire breaks out following hostage stand-off in Mississipi

Four people have died after domestic dispute led to a fatal hostage situation in Mississippi.

A suspect is in custody after the dramatic 12-hour standoff with police on Saturday.

The dispute started at about 2.30am in Clinton, just outside of Jackson, where authorities said a man was holding family members hostage inside of a home.

City spokesman Mark Jones said four people were killed but did not provide any other details about their deaths.

Two children were saved from the shooting. They had been inside the home but were released before the hostage situation came to an end.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) said a suspect had been taken into custody.

The MBI took over the case because the shooting involved police, Captain Johnny Poulos said. He could not provide any information on what led to the shooting.