Colorado shooting: Shootout at Walmart in Thornton, Denver leaves two dead and 'multiple parties injured'; police evacuates area

At least two people died and two others were severely injured on Wednesday after a shootout took place inside a Walmart store in a Denver suburb, local police said.

Police in Thornton, Colorado, did not release any information about any of the victims and it was not clear if an assailant had been taken into custody. Thornton is about 16 kilometres northeast of Denver.

“We’ve got multiple parties down, we’re still trying to ascertain what their conditions are,” said officer Victor Avila of the Thornton Police Department.

The police also advised people to stay away from the area. Dozens of police cars and emergency vehicles converged at the store.

The store had been “self-evacuated” by customers and employees who fled following the gunfire, Avila said.

Reports of shots fired came shortly before 6:30 pm, a police spokesman told local 9NEWS in Denver.

Local television images showed a number of police cars and ambulances surrounding the store, lights flashing.

With inputs from agencies