Several people were killed in a shooting in U.S. state of Virginia on Tuesday, state police said.

The shooting caused "several fatalities", said Sergeant Thomas Molnar, a spokesman for the Virginia State police.

A deputy from the Appomattox sheriff's office received a call around noon about a man lying down beside a road.

"When the deputy arrived on scene, the deputy heard several gun shots and he in turn contacted his dispatch center and they dispatched several more of their deputies to the scene along with contacting the Virginia state police for assistance," Molnar said.

The gunman is believed to be a lone male, and enforcement officials were still searching for him, he added.

Molnar did not provide an accurate death toll, nor the reason for this shooting.