An award-winning news presenter has been fired after saying "young black men" with "multiple fathers" were probably responsible for a shooting in her state in which six people were killed.

Wendy Bell, a journalist with WTAE-TV channel in Pennsylvania, was fired after posting comments perceived as racial stereotyping on her official Facebook page.

The posting was in response to a shooting that left six people dead. Ms Bell gave her own "mental sketch" of who the killers might be.

"You don't need to be a criminal profiler to draw a mental sketch of the killers who broke so many hearts two weeks ago Wednesday," she wrote in a post which has now been removed.

"They are young black men, likely teens or in their early 20s. They have multiple siblings from multiple fathers and their mothers work multiple jobs [...]

"Now they are lost."

In the post, which was seen by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette before being shut down. Ms Bell went on to talk about the positive feedback she had given to the manager of an "African American teen", in a move she said could change his life.

"It will be some time before I forget the smile that beamed across that young worker's face," she said.

"Give a part of you to someone else. That, my friends, can change someone's course."

Ms Bell has won 21 regional Emmy Awards in her 18 years at the channel, but online commentators were critical of what they called her "holier than thou" tone.

WTAE-TV news station, where Ms Bell has lost her job over racial comments on Facebook (Google Street View)

Ms Bell was suspended from her 18-year role at WTAE-TV and her Facebook page has been closed

Her employers have confirmed she lost her job on 23 March.

The news presenter said she was "truly sorry" for the offence she had caused. She also defended her sentiments.

"It makes me sick. What matters is what's going on in America, and it is the death of black people in this country," she said.

"More needs to be done. The problem needs to be addressed."