At least three people have been killed after a gunman opened fire at Michigan State University, police say.

As well as the three victims, police said the suspect had died apparently from a "self-inflicted gunshot wound".

Another five people were injured in the attack at the main campus in the city of East Lansing late on Monday.

Police described the suspect as "a black male, shorter in stature". They later said he was 43 years old with no known affiliation to the university.

Students and local residents were told to shelter-in-place during the manhunt, however police later lifted it, saying there was "not longer a threat to campus".

They added that the suspect "has been located off campus".

In photos released earlier, the suspect was wearing a denim jacket, a navy baseball cap and red trainers.

The shooting started shortly after 20:00 local time on Monday (01:00 GMT Tuesday).

Police officers responded to the attack, finding victims at the Berkey Hall on the campus's north side, and the adjacent Michigan State University Union building.

At a news briefing, the police said there were several crime locations, and their investigation was continuing. The attacker's motive is not known.

A number of ambulances were seen arriving at the scene, and the injured - some of them believed to be in a life-threatening condition - are now being treated in hospital.

"This truly has been a nightmare that we are living tonight," said Deputy Chief Chris Rozman of the university's police force.

All campus activities have been cancelled for at least 48 hours. East Lansing lies about 70 miles (112km) north-west of Detroit.