[Cdnwolf]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Armed gunmen Thursday killed seven people and wounded at least 12 others in a bloody rampage at Fort Hood military base in Texas, US officials and media said.

Both the Pentagon and local police confirmed to AFP that there had been a shooting, but could not give details on how many victims there were on the base in Killeen, in central Texas.


President Barack Obama had been informed of the shooting, a White House official said.


A suspect was in custody, Master Sergeant Tim Volkert at Fort Hood told AFP. "We're trying to confirm the exact numbers" of dead and wounded, he said.


But a Killeen police department spokeswoman warned there were still suspects at large. "There has been a shooting at Fort Hood and all the suspects are not in custody at this time," she told AFP.


"I know they have active shooters out there."


She would not give any more details, but local and national media reported that seven people had been killed and 12 others wounded.


MSNBC reported there were at least two shooters, with one in custody, adding there was speculation that there may be a third gunman.


One of the shooters at large was believed to have a high-powered sniper rifle, and was holed up in a building surrounded by SWAT teams, MSNBC said.


It was not immediately clear if it was an attack on the base, or whether the shootings were carried out by US soldiers.


Local congressman John Carter confirmed there had been a shooting at Fort Hood, the nation's largest US military base whose troops have seen extensive tours of duty in Iraq.


The gunfire had erupted ahead of a graduation ceremony in the soldier readiness center, Carter said, but could not confirm reports of injuries.


"I had a man on the scene, who is my regional director and former chaplin at Fort Hood, waiting to go to a graduation ceremony when a soldier came running up to him saying, "sir, don't go over there. They are -- somebody is shooting over there," Carter told on MSNBC.


"When the soldier ran by him, he saw the soldier didn't know it, but he was wounded. So, he went into the building and they stopped him, because he had been shot.


"He heard small arms and some rifle fire while he was there and that he thought they had one person that they had caught but there may be more, he didn't know. He understood there was more than one, that was all he said."


Fort Hood has been working to rehabilitate many soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, Carter added.


A message on Fort Hood's website -- the headquarters of the Army 3rd Corps, the 4th Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Division -- said it was closed, but gave no further details. All those units have seen extensive duty in Iraq.


"Effective immediately. Fort Hood is closed. Organizations/units are instructed to execute a 100 percent accountability of all personnel. This is not a Drill. It is an Emergency Situation," the website.

Army personnel told a Fox news affiliate they were not sure if the victims were civilians or military personnel.

Schools in the area were also on lockdown, MSNBC said.