A CHAOTIC 25-minute shooting spree through California has left three people dead and more victims before the shooter stopped and killed himself, police said.

There were at least six crime scenes, Orange County sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino told KNBC-TV.

The shootings started with an apparent carjacking just after 5am local time (1pm Irish time) in an unincorporated Ladera Ranch area of Orange County, said Tustin police Supervisor Dave Kanoti.

From 5:30am to 5:55am, Tustin police received police reports of shootings in several locations, he said.

Officers found one dead person and one wounded at one location, two shot and wounded at another, and another deceased victim at a third, separate location.

The alleged shooter then drove to the middle of a junction in a residential neighbourhood and shot himself, Kanoti said.

The conditions of the wounded victims were unknown.

It is possible more people were shot at because some people may have chased the shooter, Kanoti said.

A spokeswoman for the California Highway Patrol said they didn’t have any active crime scenes on the freeway.

Kanoti said authorities were trying to figure out if the spree started with the fatal carjacking but could not yet confirm that.

Tustin is about 35 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.