Mississippi shooting: 'Two dead' after gunman opens fire in Walmart

Police and emergency personnel responding to a shooting at a Walmart in Southaven (Picture: WATN-TV via AP)

A gunman has opened fire in a Walmart in North Mississippi, killing a worker before he was shot by police.

Local media said the attack had happened in Southaven, a suburb of Memphis, on Tuesday morning, with reports of the active shooter on social media.

WREG said the gunman had been killed after the attack.

DeSoto County Sheriff Bill Rasco told WHBQ-TV that one person is dead and the gunman had been killed.

Walmart employees join in a prayer circle outside the store (Jerrita Patterson/WREG-TV via AP)

He added that the shooting prompted a sizeable law enforcement response, with officers setting up a perimeter around the supermarket.

A woman answering the phone at the Southaven Police Department Tuesday morning said "we have ongoing emergencies" and no one was available to provide information.

Walmart did not immediately respond to requests for information.

More follows...