Five killed in US workplace shooting

Five people were killed and several others injured when a gunman opened fire at an industrial park in the US state of Illinois, police there say.

The gunman was also killed during an exchange of fire with police officers, a police spokeswoman said. Five police officers were shot and wounded.

The attack took place in Aurora, a suburb about 40 miles west of Chicago, BBC reports. 

It comes a day after the first anniversary of a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 dead.

Friday's shooting is reported to have taken place at Henry Pratt Company, a manufacturing firm that makes valves for large water pipes.

Police named the gunman as Gary Martin, 45, who they said had been an employee at the company.

Officers declined to speculate on a motive for the attack, but the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper is reporting that his family say he was made redundant two weeks ago and had been "stressed out".