Troubled lawyer shoots 9 in Houston before being killed by police

US: A distressed lawyer opened fire on morning commuters in the wealthy neighbourhood of West University Place, in Houston, wounding at least nine people before he was fatally shot dead by police on Monday, authorities say.

Speaking to reporters, the acting Houston Police Chief Martha Montalvo said six victims were taken to hospitals and three were treated at the scene after being shot at while inside their vehicles.

One of the victims was in critical condition and another was in serious condition.

Montalvo who declined to identify the suspect said the suspect was a lawyer and had concerns about his law firm.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who is currently on a trip in Cuba to develop trade relations, told reporters, that "The motivation appears to be a lawyer whose relationship with his law firm went bad".

The police bomb squad was securing the suspect's car, which had various weapons in it and police were planning to search his house.

Broken glass from shattered car windows littered a car park in an upscale shopping centre close to where the suspect fired 20 to 30 shots.

An unidentified woman, a victim standing next to a car with two bullet holes in the windshield, told a local television station she heard "the bullets literally whiz by my window".

Live video streams showed several police cars and ambulances in the area. Few vehicles were also seen with bullet holes.