Gunman shot dead after injuring six at mall in Houston, Texas

More than 15 fire crews were dispatched about 6.30am local time to reports of shots fired at the shopping centre at Wesleyan Street and Bissonnet Street in Houston, Houston Fire Department spokesman Jay Evans told NBC News.

Across the road from the scene of the shooting. Picture: AFP/KHOU TVSource:AFP

According to the local US ABC Eyewitness News, Houston police radio reports said the suspect was at the shopping centre firing upon vehicles. He was described as a black male armed with a revolver.

Fire Department Assistant Chief Richard Mann said six people were wounded. A couple of them were taken to a hospital, while the others have less serious injuries.

Circumstances of the shooting were not immediately clear, although some witnesses have described the gunman firing dozens of shots at cars passing through the neighbourhood before he was engaged by police.

Several cars with bullet holes and shattered windows were seen in the car park of the strip mall.

Onlooker Antoine Wilson told Eyewitness News he was caught in the crossfire.

“I literally heard the gunshots past my face,” Mr Wilson said. “It’s a hard pill to swallow.”

The Houston Police Department said via Twitter the suspect was “DOA” (dead on arrival) at the contained scene. An hour earlier, they tweeted authorities had shot the suspect.

Witnesses tweeted photos of a shot-up car from the scene.

Still from a live stream from local TV. Picture: KHOU.comSource:Twitter

The shooting comes days after a shooting at a Washington State shopping mall that left five people dead. Meanwhile on September 17, a 20-year-old man stabbed 10 people at a Minnesota mall before being shot to death by an off-duty police officer