A police officer is among four people who were shot dead in a New York office building on Monday when a gunman opened fire with a silenced assault rifle.

Several people were also injured after the shooter stormed the skyscraper in Manhattan which houses the headquarters of the NFL and hedge fund giant Blackstone.

Images shared on social media appear to show the suspect entering the building with a rifle in broad daylight.

The shooting began at about 6.30pm local time (11.30pm UK) before police rushed to the scene. 

The gunman was “neutralised”, officials said. He is understood to have died from a self-inflicted injury.

He was identified in US media as a 27-year-old man from Las Vegas.