Several people have been gunned down in San Jose, California after a gunman opened fire during a union meeting at a light rail yard.

Per KTUV, multiple people have lost their lives as the police investigate the mass shooting which took place on Wednesday, May 26, in the early hours of the morning.

The family of a One Valley Transportation Authority employee told KTUV that the shooting occurred during a union meeting. Santa Clara County Sheriff tweeted it was investigating just after 7 am local time.

San Jose journalist Robert Salonga first reported that the gunman was among several people killed during the shooting.

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VTA spokesperson Brandi Childress said there were "reports of an active shooter" at the site and said employees had been evacuated. There were multiple casualties, she said in an email.

"We ask for people's prayers," Childress added.

Santa Clara County Sheriff confirmed the death in a tweet saying "shooter is down".

It's not yet known the exact number of fatalities, however, San Jose mayor Sam Liccardo said several people are being treated for injuries while the situation is being assessed.

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He said in a tweet: "The shooter is no longer a threat, and the facility has been evacuated."

Spokesperson Russell Davis told ABC News that there are "multiple victims and multiple casualties," however, he wasn't able to offer a more specific count.

Authorities are asking the public to avoid the area as they investigate.

It comes after at least five people were gunned down by a shooter who opened fire in an apartment building in Ohio.

Per Reuters, the shooting took place between 1:00PM and 5:00PM local time on Monday, May 24, at the residential building in West Jefferson, Ohio.

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Just one day prior to that shooting, three people tragically lost their lives after a shooter opened fire at a bar in Youngstown, Ohio in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Per CNN, three others were left injured as cops responded to the scene at the Torch Club Bar and Grill at around 2:00AM.

Two of the victims who lost their lives have been identified as 19-year-old Mikquan Stevens and 23-year-old Rayshaun Clay, WFMJ News reports.

It comes as a total of 232 mass shootings have now taken place in the US this year so far, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The GVA defines a mass shooting as having a minimum of four victims, either injured or killed, not including the shooter.

Featured image credit: Sundry Photography / Alamy

Multiple dead including gunman in California mass shooting