US police have confirmed that three people were killed in a shooting at a mall in the US state of Maryland. The incident occurred at a shopping centre in the Baltimore suburb of Columbia. Five others were injured and sent to hospital.

According to the police, a man and a woman, both in their 20s, were shot dead at a skate shop called Zumiez on the upper level of the mall. The third is believed to have been the shooter. A gun and ammunition were found near the body.

After the shooting, the mall was locked up. Roads near the shooping centre were also closed for safety reason.

Howard County police say they do not know the motive behind the shooting. But there is an indication that the suspect may have intended to kill more people.

"The identity of the shooter, we don't know who that is yet. When our officers approached he was obviously deceased, but he also still had a large amount of ammunition still on and about him," said police chief William J. McMahon of Howard County.

"Because of concerns about any other weapons he may have or explosives, we are approaching this with an abundance of caution. And we are getting assistance from our federal partners and making sure there is no explosives on the body of deceased."