At least five people, including a child, have been killed after a shooting at a Christian school in the US, police have confirmed.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said officers responded to an "active shooter" at Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin at 10.57am (3.57am AEST).
He confirmed the shooter was among the dead, and five others had been injured.
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The shooter was a student at the school, police said.
Barnes said officers found "multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds".
"(The injured) range from minor injuries to life-threatening, that's a huge spectrum. We need everyone to send their thoughts and prayers," he said.
Barnes said police officers who responded did not fire their weapons.
He described the shooting as a "sad" day for the community.
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"I'm feeling a little dismayed now, so close to Christmas," Barnes said.
"Every child, every person in that building is a victim, and will be a victim forever. These types of trauma don't just go away.
"My heart is heavy for Madison and we have to come together as a community and find out what happened here and make sure it doesn't happen in any other place that should be a refuge for students in our community.
"These types of trauma don't just go away, we need to figure out and piece together what actually happened."
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Police had blocked off roads around the school following the shooting.
Barnes said the attack took place about 4.8km away from a police training centre.
He said officers that arrived at the shooting "got to practice in real time".
"They left the training centre and began doing in real-time what they had actually practiced," he said.
Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have responded to the scene to assist local law enforcement.
"We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond," Wisconsin Govenor Tony Evers said in a statement.
Abundant Life Christian School is nondenominational and has about 390 students, from kindergarten through high school, according to its website.
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