Police in the eastern Canadian city of Fredericton, New Brunswick, say at least four people have been killed after a shooting.

Fredericton police are asking residents to avoid the area and stay in their homes. The circumstances of the shooting are unclear.

Police said on Twitter that the “incident is ongoing”.

They were also asking people on Facebook not to use social media to report on police locations.

David MacCoubrey, who lives in Fredericton, said he woke up in his apartment on Brookside Drive at around 7am local time to the sound of three gunshots 10 metres from his bed.

Mr MacCoubrey said more than 15 other gunshots were subsequently fired between that time and around 8.30am.

He says his apartment complex has four buildings in a square, and it sounded like the shots were coming from the middle of the complex.

Mr MacCoubrey said police have been searching the complex and he has been sitting on the floor of his home away from windows.