Washington, Jul 31 (IANS): Two people were killed and a police officer was injured in a shooting here at a Walmart store.

The shooting occurred on Tuesday in Southaven, Mississippi sometime between 6.30 a.m. (1130 GMT) and 6.40 a.m. (1140 GMT), according to the police.

The two victims, believed to be employees of the store, were found dead when police arrived, reported Xinhua news agency.

The suspect was shot and taken to a hospital with injuries, said the police.

Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite tweeted that he is "terribly sad and very angry about this senseless violence," sending condolences to the family and friends of the victims.

"I'm also incredibly proud of my officers that showed their guts today and prevented the loss of many more lives," he said.

Walmart President Greg Foran also expressed sadness over the shooting, saying "the entire Walmart family is heartbroken by the loss of two valued members of our team," according to a Walmart statement online.

The suspect was reportedly a disgruntled Walmart associate with a grievance against his employer. He was suspended only a few days ago after he threatened another employee with a knife.