Gunman, victim dead in US shooting

A gunman and his victim are both dead after a medical centre in Texas was placed into lockdown with reports of an "active shooting" situation.

Two people have died, including an alleged gunman, at a military medical centre in Texas.

The Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic at Fort Bliss, in El Paso, went onto lockdown after an "active shooting" situation was reported on Tuesday, said the base's commander Major General Stephen Twitty.

"The alleged shooter is dead, and we have one casualty. That casualty is deceased," he told a briefing some four hours after the incident.

He gave no further details about the victim or alleged shooter, or how they died.

"All other VA patients and staff are safe ... everything is under control and there is no immediate threat to Fort Bliss or the local community," he said, adding that the FBI was leading the investigation.

The shooting at the facility, which treats soldiers returning from conflict zone including those with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), is the latest such incident involving military personnel.

In April last year, a troubled US soldier shot his semi-automatic pistol at least 35 times during an eight-minute killing spree at Texas's Fort Hood military base, killing three and wounding 16 others.

The incident sparked memories of the November 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, when Major Nidal Hasan opened fire at the base, killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 others.

Then last August a soldier barricaded herself in an office and before taking her own life at the Fort Lee US Army command post in Virginia.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.


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Source: AAP



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