Kansas shooting: US gunman kills three

Man goes on a shooting rampage in the US state before being killed in a gun battle with police.

Police search for a possible second shooter in the car park of Excel Industries in Hesston, Kansas [The Wichita Eagle via AP]

Three people were killed by a gunman and at least 14 others wounded in a series of shootings in the state of Kansas in the United States.

Sheriff T Walton said at a news conference on Thursday night there were “a number of crime scenes involved”, including the Excel Industries plant in Hesston, north of Wichita, which manufactures lawnmower products.

The suspect was fatally shot by authorities inside the Excel building where all three victims were killed.

Walton said the shooter stole a car before going on the rampage with an “assault-type” rifle.

The sheriff said a shooting also took place in the plant parking lot and two other locations nearby. He said the suspect travelled between the sites and fired from his car.

The scene at Excel Industries had been secured, he said.

“We want to get everybody identified. We’re working on that,” Walton said at the news conference.

The victims appeared to have been chosen randomly and the motive was unclear, he said, adding the man was apparently an employee of the plant.

The Kansas shooting comes less than a week after a man opened fire at several locations in Kalamazoo, Michigan, killing six people and wounding two severely.