A shooting in the town of Woodstock in Vermont on Tuesday has left at least one person dead, police have said. The incident comes on the back of several deadly mass shootings in the US, and at a time when the country is mulling the passage of a bipartisan gun law aimed at restricting access to firearms.

According to Vermont State Police Major Dan Trudeau, the shooting took place in a house on 13 Slayton Terrace, where the suspect, identified as 45-year-old Jay Wilson, is believed to have fatally shot a person.

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The victim is believed to be Wilson’s mother’s friend, but at the time of writing this article, no identity had been released.

As per authorities, police responded promptly to reports of gunshots in the area, which were reported at around 1.20pm local time.

As the first officer approached the site of the reported gunshots, he found a deceased person on the driveway, and was immediately shot at by the suspect.

However, the officer managed to duck behind cover on time, thereby managing to avoid gunshot injuries.

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At the time of writing this, efforts were still underway to nab the suspect, 45-year-old Wilson.

While police have deployed tactical units in full combat gear, and the Vermont State Police’s Tactical Services Unit and Crisis Negotiation Unit are on the scene to try and bring an end to the chaos, no arrests had been made as of 5.30pm local time.

A perimeter has been setup around the scene of the crime and the local police department has asked all residents to steer clear of the area, and a shelter in place order has been issued as well.