Deadly shooting near California polling station

Two polling stations were placed on lockdown in a southern California town due to a nearby shooting on Tuesday which killed one person and wounded three, local police said.

The Los Angeles Times reported that a man in his 70s died.

A woman carrying an assault rifle with "rapid-fire capability" was believed to be held up inside a house in Azusa, California surrounded by police officers, Azusa Police Chief Steve Hunt said during a news conference. He added that there were reports of a possible second male suspect.

"It's very early to tell what the motive is, but it appears to be concentrated on the residential side, not at the polling station," Hunt said.

"We have not had any further contact with the suspect at this time, and our officers were pinned down at the location for a period of time."

The shooting took place in Azusa which is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Los Angeles while local residents cast their votes in Tuesday's election.

An elementary school that's also a polling place was put on lockdown, as well as one other polling site. Election officials urged voters to cast their ballots at other locations.

rs/rc    (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)