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A gunman has opened fire in a US synagogue leaving 11 dead during a baby-naming ceremony.

Police rushed to the scene at the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Pittsburgh following reports of an active shooter.

Officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect after he ran back inside the place of worship to hide.

Six people have been injured - including four police officers - in the tragedy which has rocked America.

The synagogue was full of 60-100 worshippers attending Shabbat services when the gunman stormed inside and opened fire.

Some fled in terror and took refuge in the synagogue's basement where three people were reportedly shot.

Others barricaded themselves in different rooms and phoned police for help.

A Pittsburgh City official told a news conference 'the scene is very bad inside'.

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"It's a very horrific crime scene, one of the worst that I've seen, and I've been on some plane crashes," Pittsburgh public safety director Wendell Hissrich told a news conference.

"This falls under hate crime."

The FBI will lead the probe into the attack.

The suspect was carrying multiple weapons and has been described as a white man 'with a beard' in his 40s, according to authorities.

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He has been named by US media as Robert Bowers and is in police custody.

The area was sealed off and people are being urged to stay away, while residents were told to not leave their homes.

Mayor of Pittsburgh, Bill Peduto, tweeted shortly after the shooting: "Multiple casualties. Three Officers have been shot. Area is NOT secure. All residents required to stay inside their homes until further notice."

NYPD also deployed officers to other synagogues across the city as a safety precaution.

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The gunman’s condition is unknown at this moment. But authorities say he was injured and crawling when he was taken into custody.

He suffered multiple gunshot wounds but it's not clear if they were self-inflicted or not.

Local hospitals cleared emergency rooms to tend to patients. However, all 11 who died were pronounced dead at the scene.

Journalist Steve Herman says the suspect told police at the scene: "All these Jews need to die".

(Image: @coachtvnews) (Image: Getty Images)

President Donald Trump tweeted: "Watching the events unfolding in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Law enforcement on the scene.

"People in Squirrel Hill area should remain sheltered. Looks like multiple fatalities. Beware of active shooter. God Bless All!"

Witnesses who called 911 said the gunman walked into the synagogue and opened fire.

One person wrote on Twitter: "There was just a man who opened fire in the synagogue down the street from my job. We’ve seen 15+ police cars drive by."

(Image: Getty Images)

There was also heavy police presence around Squirrel Hill.

“There is an active shooter in the area of WILKINS and Shady,” the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department said in a tweet.

“Avoid the area. More info will be released when it is available.”

Officers were called around 10am (2pm UK time). The FBI and SWAT teams were also at the scene.

Carnegie Mellon University, which is nearby, was put on lockdown in the aftermath, with students said to have received text messages telling them to stay inside.

“Do not come out of your home right now, it is not safe,” Pittsburgh police Commander Jason Lando warned local residents, in an impromptu news conference at the scene.

The Tree of Life Congregation was founded more than 150 years ago.

It describes itself on its website as "a conservative Jewish congregation" which "remains true to traditional teachings, yet is also progressive and relevant to the way we live today."

Meanwhile, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said: “We are devastated.

(Image: @WPXI_Lori) (Image: Getty Images)

"Jews targeted on Shabbat morning at synagogue, a holy place of worship, is unconscionable. Our hearts break for the victims, their families, and the entire Jewish community."

This afternoon, Trump denied that American gun laws are to blame for the atrocity.

Asked whether laws should be revisited in the light of the attack, he replied: “This has little to do with it, if they had protection inside the temple maybe it could have been a different situation.

“He was able to do things that he shouldn’t have been able to do.

“Numerous police were injured.”

(Image: REUTERS)

And he continued: “When people do things like this they should get the death penalty.”

Pennsylvania’s governor has described the attack as a “senseless act of violence”.

In a series of tweets, Tom Wolf said: “This is an absolute tragedy. These senseless acts of violence are not who we are as Americans.

“My thoughts right now are focused on the victims, their families and making sure law enforcement has every resource they need.

“We must all pray and hope for no more loss of life. But we have been saying “this one is too many” for far too long. Dangerous weapons are putting our citizens in harm’s way.

“And in the aftermath of this tragedy, we must come together and take action to prevent these tragedies in the future. We cannot accept this violence as normal.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was "heartbroken and appalled" by the shooting attack.

"The entire people of Israel grieve with the families of the dead," he said.

"We stand together with the Jewish community of Pittsburgh, we stand together with the American people in the face of this horrendous anti-Semitic brutality and we all pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded."