The apartment complex where four people were shot dead. Picture: Google Earth

There are reports the shooting took place on Saturday evening about 6pm (Sunday morning 9am AEST) in an apartment complex in Bastrop, a city in the state of Texas about 50km southeast of Austin with a population of about 7500.

NBC’s KXAN-TV reports deputies were called to the Arbors apartment complex on the 200 block of Childers Drive and found the shooter dead.

Police have confirmed a man, two women and a child are dead.

It is believed the man was the shooter and the child is a boy about two or three years of age.

Another girl of the same age was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Residents near the scene of a fatal shooting say they were restricted from leaving or entering the apartment complex but authorities will now let neighbours back into their homes.

Mai Mguyen, who’s lived in the apartment complex for five years, said she was working at a shop nearby when she heard four gunshots.

KXAN-TV said a Texas Department of Public Safety was called after being told a man in the apartment had a weapon.

The Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office confirms four people are dead but there could be a fifth victim.

A spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office told media there were no details about the suspect or his motive.

A witness told KXAN-TV bullets were fired into the home and she called 911.

She said she saw three adults and one child on the ground.

The Statesman newspaper reports another witness was in the apartment complex with her baby and heard shots as she was taking the child to the park.

The woman’s sister-in-law Kenyata Trigg, 37, spoke to media on the witness’ behalf.

She said the witness saw bodies of a man, a woman and two children.

She knew them all as they were her neighbours.

Neighbours were shocked by the violence and said this type of brutality had not happened in the area before.

A shooting took place on Childers Drive in Bastrop, Texas. Picture: Google MapsSource:Supplied