3 dead in Cincinnati shooting

A shooting incident at the Fifth Third Centre in Cincinnati's Fountain Square on Thursday killed at least three people and injured five others, Cincinnati police chief, Eliot Isaac confirmed.

The suspect is among the deceased, the Cincinnati police department informed on its official Twitter handle.

The shooting occurred at around 9 AM when the suspect open fired near the loading dock of the Fifth Third Centre, a 30-storey skyscraper, the police chief was quoted as saying by CNN. The suspect then proceeded towards the lobby area, where he was engaged by three or four officers.

The police secured the building in around two hours.

Speaking on the incident, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said, "This is not normal, and it shouldn't be viewed as normal. This is abnormal. No other industrialized country has this level of active multiple shootings on a regular basis. I think there's something deeply sick at work here."

Meanwhile, a witness at the scene told CNN affiliate WLWT, "I heard about eight gunshots, and I actually got on my knees. I kind of got down on the ground and then all the cops started coming. I'm still shaking."

"We did hear a gun shooting from the 29th floor. We could quickly see there was a large police presence and could see them blocking Fountain Square. We knew immediately something was wrong. We're a bit rattled," another witness told CNN affiliate WXIX.

The Cincinnati police are being assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in their investigations.