WASHINGTON (WASHINGTON POST) - A gunman left a trail of five dead in a south Texas town on Friday evening (July 28), including at a nursing home and a victim's residence.

Reports of gunfire around 7pm led police to the Retama Manor Nursing Centre in Robstown, west of the coastal city of Corpus Christi. Two men and a woman were found dead at the scene, authorities said.

Investigators believe the dead at the nursing home includes the shooter, city spokesman Herman Rodriguez told The Washington Post on Saturday.

Police chief Erasmo Flores in a statement said the "threat was neutralised" before officers arrived.

Police later found two more bodies at a victim's home, Rodriguez said, leading authorities to believe the incidents are linked.

Authorities did not release the names of the victims or suspect, and said the Texas Rangers will aid in the investigation.

"Our hearts go out to the victims' families and the residents, visitors and employees at Retama Manor who experienced this tragedy," Flores said.

It was not immediately clear if the victims at the nursing centre were residents, staff or visitors.

A spokesman for Regency Integrated Health Services, the for-profit company that operates the Robstown nursing facility, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Flores said the facility has a 94-bed capacity, but it was unclear how many people were on-site at the time of the shooting. The centre offers short- and long-term care, along with physical rehabilitation.