Five people were killed in a shooting at a major brewing company in the US before the gunman killed himself.

The assailant who attacked the Molson Coors complex was identified as a 51-year-old Milwaukee man who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said: “There were five individuals who went to work today, just like everybody goes to work, and they thought they were going to go to work, finish their day and return to their families.

“They didn’t and tragically they never will.”

Authorities offered no immediate motive for the attack and did not release details about the gunman or how the shooting unfolded.

US President Donald Trump addressed the shooting before speaking at the White House about steps his administration is taking to combat the coronavirus.

“Our hearts break for them and their loved ones,” he said.

“We send our condolences. We’ll be with them, and it’s a terrible thing, a terrible thing.”

The attack occurred at a complex that includes a mix of corporate offices and brewing facilities which is widely known as “Miller Valley”, a reference to the Miller Brewing Co. that is now part of Molson Coors.

Milwaukee Shooting
Five people were killed (Morry Gash/AP)

Molson Coors chief executive Gavin Hattersley called the gunman “an active brewery employee”.

In an email sent to staff, he said: “Unfortunately, I am devastated to share that we lost five other members of our family in this tragic incident.

“There are no words to express the deep sadness many of us are feeling right now.”