World / Crime

California fatal shooting suspect found dead

16:06 pm on 9 November 2016

A man believed to be responsible for a fatal shooting near a polling station in California has been found dead, Los Angeles police say.

Los Angeles County sheriff's lieutenant John Carina addresses media. Photo: Facebook / Azusa Police Department

The gunman shot one person dead and two more were critically injured during the shooting at a house in Azusa, near Los Angeles.

Police earlier said a fourth person could be seen lying in the doorway of the house, but their condition and identity was unknown.

Los Angeles County sheriff's lieutenant John Carina said a tactical team had now been able to get into the property and had found the body of a man they said was the suspect.

That contradicted an earlier police report of a female suspect carrying a rapid-fire assault rifle.

"We have found no evidence of a female or anybody else assisting this person," Mr Carina said.

Tactical teams were still searching yards in the area to make sure nobody else - either additional victims or suspects - was involved.

The two injured people were in a critical condition in hospital, he said.

One had been shot in the face and the other in the body.

The incident began just after 2pm local time (11am NZT) with reports of shots being fired near Memorial Park on Orange Ave, directly opposite a polling station.

Police officers arrived to find multiple victims before coming under fire themselves, the department said.

Multiple officers returned fire.

All officers who had been "pinned down" by gunfire were accounted for and safe, police said.

There had been few witnesses to the shooting, which took place in a residential area, Mr Hunt said.

Two polling locations - Memorial Park and Dalton Elementary - were put in lockdown after the shooting.

Dalton Elementary had re-opened but Memorial Park remained closed, police said.

Los Angeles county clerk Dean Logan said voters should avoid the area and cast their ballot at another location if necessary.

Police earlier evacuated two schools in the area and warned residents to shelter in place.