It was the third shooting in the area in less than two days and the latest in a string of incidents that have affected schools, churches, cinemas and other public places across the United States.

Police chief Carmen Best told reporters at the scene that one woman had been killed and several people were wounded in the shooting that occurred shortly after 5pm on Wednesday (01:00 GMT Thursday).

Officials at Harborview Medical Center, where all the wounded were taken, said seven people were being treated, including a nine-year-old boy.

Police ordered people to stay out of the area and shut down a subway station as they searched for one or more suspects.

TV station KOMO reported that two suspects were at large.

Tyler Parsons, an employee at a coffee shop, told The Seattle Times that he was working when he suddenly saw victims falling to the ground as shots rang out.

He said several people ran into his shop to seek cover and he saw two people with gunshot wounds.

One body covered with a white tarpaulin could be seen in television images, lying on the pavement in front of the McDonald's two hours after the shooting.

Susan Gregg, a spokesperson for Harborview Medical Center, said a 55-year-old woman shot in the abdomen was rushed into surgery and the boy, who was shot in the leg, was in a serious condition.

The other victims - five males - were in a satisfactory condition, she said.

One witness interviewed by local media said he had seen two men arguing loudly before they started shooting at one another, hitting bystanders.

Approximately 40,000 people have died from various firearms-related incidents, including suicides and murders, in 2017 in the US, according to government figures.