Four people, including a child, were killed in a shooting at an office building in Southern California on Wednesday, the authorities said, bringing a deadly close to a month consumed by a series of high-profile cases of gun violence.

The gunfire occurred at around 5.30pm (local time) in Orange, California, about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles, according to the police there, who said a fifth victim, a woman, was hospitalised in critical condition with a gunshot wound.

A suspect was also hospitalised in critical condition with a gunshot wound, the authorities said. They added that it was not yet known if the wound was self-inflicted.

It was not immediately clear what led to the shooting, and additional details about the victims and the suspect were not available from the authorities. They said a firearm had been recovered at the scene.

Lieutenant Jennifer Amat, a police spokeswoman, said on Wednesday night that officers had responded to the area of 202 West Lincoln Avenue near Glassell Street after reports of shots fired.

New York Times News Service