Two dead and one critically injured after shooting at Texas shopping mall

At least two people were killed and one sustained critical injuries following a shooting outside a shopping centre in Austin, Texas.

The shooting took place shortly after 5pm on Thursday at a business near The Arboretum, an outdoor shopping centre.

Two adults were pronounced dead at the scene, while one person was rushed to a local hospital with "critical life-threatening injuries", the Austin Police Department said.

There didn't appear to be any threat to the public following the gunfire, the Austin police said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The shooter is one of the two killed in the firing, said Austin police interim chief Robin Henderson at a press conference.

“At this time the relationship between the suspect and the victims is unknown,” she added.

"At 5pm, a 911 call was received of shots fired.... while responding there was information received that multiple shots were fired in the shopping centre," she said, adding at 5.07pm the first units arrived at the scene.

Additionally, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire and Explosives (ATF) and bomb squad responded to the scene, because it was initially reported that there were sounds of an explosion. However, upon inspection, the officers found no traces of explosives.

Two others were also evaluated for minor injuries at the spot, authorities said.

A woman, who was shopping in the area, said she immediately left after receiving a text message from her mother alerting her of the shooting.

“It’s terrifying. My dad lives in this area. I live in this area. My son goes to school in this area. It’s just scary to know that we were just a couple of businesses away from where this happened,” the woman told KXAN.

According to witnesses, more than 30 emergency vehicles responded at the scene of the shooting, along with a helicopter.

Police have asked potential witnesses to come forward and submit any photos or videos from the area.