Four people have been killed and several more injured in a shooting in Alabama, officials have said.
The incident is reported to have taken place at a teenager's 16th birthday party late on Saturday evening in the city of Dadeville, in Tallapoosa County.
It was not immediately known if a suspect was in custody.
Speaking just before 11am local time (5pm BST) Senior Trooper Jeremy Burkett from Alabama Law Enforcement Agency confirmed the shooting was "tied to a birthday party".
"There were four lives, not fatalities, lives, lost in this incident," he said, as well as a "multitude of injuries".
"We're going to continue to work through in a very methodical way to go through this scene, to look at the facts and ensure that justice is brought to bear for the families. We will do that," he added.
Superintendent Raymond Porter added that counselling will be provided for students at school tomorrow.
"We will make every effort to comfort those children and don't lose sight of the fact that those are the ones most impacted by this situation," he said.
The next police update will be made in two hours - around 1pm local time (7pm BST).
Shooting 'at a dance studio'
WRBL-TV reported that it took place at a dance studio, with the station showing images of crime scene tape around the Mahogany Masterpiece Dance Studio and neighbouring buildings, as well as a heavy police presence.
Pastor Ben Hayes, who serves as the chaplain for the Dadeville Police Department and for the local high school football team, said most of the victims are young because the shooting occurred at a teenager's birthday party.
He said the shooting rocked the small town where serious crime is rare - and described one of the victims as a "great guy".
"I knew many of these students," he said. "Dadeville is a small town and this is going to affect everybody in this area."
The Alabam Law Enforcement Agency said the shooting happened at about 10.30pm and gave no information about a possible motive.
The FBI, the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Fifth Circuit District Attorney's Office had also responded to the scene and were assisting with the investigation.
Alabama governor Kay Ivey said in a statement: "This morning, I grieve with the people of Dadeville and my fellow Alabamians.
"Violent crime has no place in our state, and we are staying closely updated by law enforcement as details emerge."
Where did the shooting take place?
Dadeville is a small city of about 3,000 people, 45 miles northeast of Montgomery, Alabama.
There have been 162 mass shootings in the country so far this year, according to Gun Violence Archive.
The Dadeville shooting occurred within weeks of two high-profile mass shootings in the nearby states of Tennessee and Kentucky, which prompted local leaders to call for tighter gun control measures last week.
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