Texas police seek suspect in shooting

Three people shot dead in Austin apartment complex

Austin police, SWAT and medical personnel respond to an active shooter situation located Great Hills Trail in Northwest Austin, Texas. Image: AP

Police in Austin, Texas, launched a manhunt on Sunday for a suspect, possibly a former county detective, after three people were shot dead in an apartment complex earlier in the day.

The killings, which followed a spate of mass shootings in the US, prompted authorities to lock down the surrounding area, which includes a popular shopping complex in the north-west part of the Texas capital.

Austin interim police chief Joseph Chacon identified the suspect in the shooting, described by police as a domestic situation, as Stephen Broderick, 41.

A Travis County Sheriff’s Office detective by the same name was placed on administrative leave last June after being charged with child sexual assault, local media reported at the time.

"We do have some preliminary information that he might be prior law enforcement but I don't have that confirmed at this time," Mr Chacon said on Sunday.

He said two women and a man were killed in the shooting, which was reported shortly before noon.

Although police downgraded their initial description of an "active shooting incident", they asked residents to stay at home as authorities search for the suspect.

"We are concerned that he might possibly take a hostage and be himself sheltering somewhere waiting for us to leave," Mr Chacon said.