LAST UPDATE | 1 Jun 2019

ELEVEN PEOPLE HAVE been killed in a mass shooting at a government complex in the US state of Virginia.

Six people have also been wounded. The gunman, a longtime public utilities employee, was also killed, police chief James Cervera told a news conference.

The gunman entered one of the buildings at the Virginia Beach municipal complex and “immediately began to indiscriminately fire on all of the victims,” Cervera said.

The wounded included a police officer, who was saved by his bulletproof vest.

A police spokesperson told The Virginian-Pilot that the shooter opened fire in Building 2 of the municipal centre, which is adjacent to City Hall. The building houses the city’s public works, public utilities and planning departments.

CNN reports Mayor Bobby Dyer described today as the “most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach”.

“The people involved are our friends, coworkers, neighbours, colleagues.”

- With reporting from AFP and Michelle Hennessy.