A 43-year-old Indian-American paediatrician diagnosed with terminal cancer shot dead a lady doctor and then killed himself after taking hostages at a medical office in Austin, Texas, according to the police.

The armed man was identified as Dr Bharat Narumanchi, police said, adding that he had recently been turned down for a volunteer position at the medical facility.

The police received a call on Tuesday saying a man walked into the offices of the Children’s Medical Group (CMG) with a gun and was holding hostages inside the building, CNN reported, citing an Austin Police Department press release.

Initially several hostages were being held, the police said, but several escaped and others were allowed to leave, except a paediatrician named Katherine Dodson.

The hostages who escaped the office told officers on the scene that the man was armed with a pistol and what appeared to be a shotgun. He also had two duffel bags. Dr Narumanchi had visited the CMG office a week prior to the shooting and applied for a volunteer position.

The suspect had terminal cancer and had only been given weeks to live, Austin police Lieutenant Jeff Greenwalt told reporters on Wednesday. “So we feel like his terminal cancer probably played a large part in whatever it was that occurred in his life and what was happening yesterday,” he was quoted as saying by US media reports.

But for now, Greenwalt said, investigators are still trying to unravel what could have led to the hostage situation. He called for any of the doctor’s family and friends who might have knowledge about Narumanchi to contact the homicide department.