Gunman kills 5 in mass US shooting

Police secure the area following a shooting in Aurora, Illinois. Pic/AFP

Chicago: Five people were killed and multiple police officers shot on Friday, when a gunman opened fire in an industrial area on the outskirts of Chicago, the latest mass shooting to hit the United States.

The shooting took place at 1.28 pm at a giant manufacturing complex in Aurora, Illinois - a small suburb 65 kilometres west of central Chicago. Police said officers engaged in a firefight with the suspect, thought to be an employee before he was shot dead. He was identified as 45-year-old Gary Martin.

Aurora police chief Kristen Ziman said five police officers were shot. Two were airlifted to Chicago-area trauma centres. "The other officers on the scene located gunshot victims inside the building," Ziman said, putting the death toll at five people.

Police did not release information on the officers' conditions or identify the victims. Police said they do not know the motive for the shooting, but witnesses told local media that the gunman was a disgruntled employee. Witnesses said they locked themselves into nearby buildings as the gunman began firing off rounds. The local school district put campuses on lockdown, but students were released later in the day. The White House said President Donald Trump had been monitoring the situation.

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Age of shooter, identified as Gary Martin

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