WASHINGTON (REUTERS/AFP) - One person was killed and 14 were wounded on Wednesday in a shooting incident at the Fort Hood military base in Texas, a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official, who noted the information was preliminary, said he could not confirm the status of the shooter.

Fort Hood was on lockdown after an active shooter situation on the military base, scene of a deadly 2009 rampage.

"There has been a shooting at Fort Hood and injuries are reported," the base said in a statement, adding that emergency crews were on the scene.

"All personnel on post are asked to shelter in place," the US base, where an army officer killed 13 people five years ago, said on its Twitter feed.

"They've asked for assistance," the nearby Bell County Sheriff's department's Donnie Adams told AFP.

Several people were wounded and at least one person taken to hospital, according to reports cited by the local KCEN TV station, showing emergency vehicles racing to the scene.

One person was shot in the chest, it reported.

Police in nearby Waco also said injuries were reported.

"Authorities are advising those on post to stay away from windows, keep doors closed and locked. Injuries are being reported," it tweeted.

A witness described a suspected gunman as being a white male in a gray Toyota car, using a .45 pistol, KCEN TV said, adding that he was believed to have been in a medical building on the base.

On Nov 5, 2009, Major Nidal Hasan opened fire at a medical facility in the sprawling Fort Hood base that serves as a staging point for soldiers to deploy to combat zones.

Twelve of the dead and 30 of the wounded were soldiers. Hasan was shot by a civilian police officer who responded to the attack.