At least three police officers have been shot and killed in Baton Rouge, the second largest city in the US state of Louisiana.
Another three police officers were wounded in the attack near the police headquarters on Sunday morning local time, with one in a critical condition.
One suspect was shot dead, the East Baton Rouge Police Department reported.
US media identified the suspect as Gavin Long, a 29-year-old African American.
Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokeswoman for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, confirmed the death toll and said in a statement that the public should call 911 immediately if they see anything suspicious.
Police received a call about a “suspicious person walking down Airline Highway with an assault rifle”, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN. When police arrived to the scene, the man opened fire.
“We don’t know yet whether they’ve been able to arrest the gunman in this case. One eyewitness told a local TV station that a man dressed all in black just started firing indiscriminately between a service station and a convenience store,” Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan reported.
“We’ve heard unconfirmed reports that as many as seven local police officers may have been shot.”
Writing on Twitter, Michael Vinsanau of the local news channel WBRZ said SWAT team forces were on the scene.
Vinsanau also reported that at least three officers are dead.
Multiple police units were stationed at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, where stricken officers were believed to be undergoing treatment at a trauma centre.
A police officer with a long gun was blocking the parking lot at the emergency room. -Al Jazeera.
