A gunman armed with a rifle opened fire Friday in an office building of Southern California Edison in Los Angeles, killing two employees and wounding two others before taking his own life.


A policeman patrols on a street in Irwindale, California, on Dec. 17, 2011. A gunman
armed with a rifle shot dead two people Friday in an office building of Southern California
 Edison in Los Angeles, before killing himself, local media reported.

One of the victims died at the scene and the other died on the way to the hospital. The conditions of the two other wounded were not immediately available.

The gunman apparently killed himself after shooting another man and a woman.

Los Angeles County Fire Department said the shooting took place at about 1:30 p.m., and prompted a lockdown at several schools as officials tried to determine whether the gunman was still alive.

Dozens of people have been evacuated from the building. It was unclear if the gunman was an Edison employee.

Xinhua