At least 3 shot in Phoenix, US

LOS ANGELES - Police were hunting for a suspect Wednesday after three people were shot and injured in Phoenix, the USstate of Arizona.

The shooting happened at 10:30 am local time Wednesday at a three-story office building on 16th Street near Glendale Avenue, Azcentral.com reported on its website, quoting local officials.

A member of a SWAT team walks past a police officer as he leaves an office building where a gunman fired shots inside during business hours in Phoenix, Arizona January 30, 2013. At least three people were shot and wounded when gunfire erupted at a business complex in Phoenix on Wednesday, and authorities were combing the area for the suspected gunman, police said on Wednesday.[Photo/Agencies]

Authorities believed a lone suspect was responsible for the shooting, Sergeant Tommy Thompson of the Phoenix Police Department said. The shooter, whom police refused to identify, was described as a white male between 50 and 70 years old and was believed to be armed.

The suspect fired multiple rounds, hitting several people after an altercation, CBS affiliate KPHO reported.

In addition to the three individuals who were shot, three others were also sent to area hospitals for treatment. They are believed to be wounded by flying glass and debris, according to reports.

At least one of the victims was reported to be out of surgery and in stable condition.

The suspect was still on the loose, police said. "At this point we don't believe he is in the area," Sergeant Thompson said.

Several area schools were locked down immediately following the shooting.

Law enforcement officers cordoned off a gas station at the northwest corner of the intersection near the shooting site, causing a temporary traffic congestion, according to the reports.

Police converged on a North Phoenix home in the neighborhood of 28th Street and Acoma Drive, which police believed was connected in some way to the office shooting.

The shooting was mentioned during a congressional hearing about gun violence. Mark Kelly, the former shuttle astronaut and husband of former Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords, on Wednesday told the Senate panel that there had been "what seems to be a shooting with multiple victims with multiple shots fired," Azcentral.com reported.