An active shooting in the US state of California has claimed the life of a person and injured four other people, forcing the closure of two polling stations nearby.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening in the city of Azusa, 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.
Officers arriving at the scene found "multiple shooting victims" and came under fire, Azusa police tweeted.
Two polling stations in the area were placed on lockdown along with nearby schools, according to local officials.
Police said the four gunshot victims were being treated for their injuries, adding that the situation was "very volatile and critical".
"At first, I thought it was construction but people came running into the room saying they see a guy with a bulletproof vest and a white shirt. As of right now, they just have us in the voting room and are trying to keep us calm," a female witness said.
The suspect, armed with a rifle, reportedly was shooting at police but it is unclear whether any officers were injured.
Police have urged residents to stay indoors and advised voters to find other polling sites to cast their ballots.
The incident took place as American voters were casting their ballots in the US 2016 presidential election across the country.
Three people are reportedly injured and one dead after a shooting near a polling booth in California.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is assisting with a shooting investigation in Azusa, the department's Twitter account said.
The Los Angeles Times has reported one person was killed and at least three others were wounded in the shooting, near West Fifth St and North Orange Ave.
The Times stated at least one of the victims was headed to the polling station to vote.
Police arrived to find a man with a rifle. The gunman then fired 20 shots at the officers.
#LASD @SDMLASD assisting @AzusaPD with shooting investigation near W 5th St and N Orange Ave, Azusa.
— LA County Sheriff's (@LASDHQ) November 8, 2016@WALDBLASD also sending deputies. pic.twitter.com/H94by09HgP
The officers took cover and shot at the man, who retreated into a nearby home.
Police had the suspect surrounded and were evacuating the area, a source told theTimes.
A polling booth at the Memorial Park North Recreation Centre is within a block of the shooting. It and several schools have been locked down. AAP reported that there was no indication the incident was election-related.
The sho9oting was reported around 11am NZ time.
Roberto Chavez, 67, was sitting on his porch when he saw a heavily armed man fire at least 10 rounds at a group of people.
Chavez told the Times that police quickly responded and around 20 officers swarmed into the neighborhood.
The gunman, who wore a white shirt and black pants, ran into a home about three doors down from Chavez' house, he said.
Chavez said he recognised the man as a frequent visitor to his neighbor's home. He didn't know the man's name. He said some of the victims appeared to be neighbours in the area.
He was told to stay indoors by police while the gunman is nearby.
"It's a very dangerous situation," he said.
Aerial footage reveals firefighters have set up red, yellow and green tarps on the street while Swat members converged.
A helicopter took at least one person to hospital.
Elizabeth Hopkinson told NBS Los Angeles she and her 9-month-old son were locked down at Slauson Middle School nearby. She said she was on her way to vote when the shooting happened.
She heard "pow, pows, then a rain of fire".
She said she was locked down with about 25 others in the gym.
Officer Jerry Willison of the Azusa Police Department told the Times there were civilian injuries.
"This is a very volatile and critical situation."
Critical Incident: Please stay out of the area of Fourth St & Orange Ave. All residents in the area shelter in place.— Azusa Police (@AzusaPD) November 8, 2016
Nearby Slauson Middle School and Mountain View Elementary School were placed on lockdown, according to Fox11.
Azusa has a population of around 49,000.
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