Washington, Apr 4 (IANS): Three people were killed and four others injured during a house party shooting in the US state of North Carolina, police said.

The incident took place on Saturday in Wilmington city, reports Xinhua news agency.

The injured victims were hospitalised in unknown conditions, according to the Wilmington Police Department.

No one was in police custody, and at least one person suspected of firing shots was believed to have fled, local media reported.

"In my more than two decades as a prosecutor this is one of the worst crimes we have ever had in the Port City," said District Attorney Ben David.

Major US cities saw a 33 per cent hike in homicides last year, according to a CNN report, noting the crime surge continued into the first quarter of this year.

On March 31, four people, including a nine-year-old boy, were killed during a mass shooting in the city of Orange, California state.

On March 22, 10 people, including one police officer, were killed in a mass shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado.

On March 16, a series of mass shootings occurred at three spas or massage parlours in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia, which killed eight people including six Asian women.