Four people, including two police officers, have been killed in a shooting in China's northern Hebei province on Tuesday, China Central Television reported on its official microblog.

The suspect Liu Shuangrui was shot dead by police at the scene, according to local media Yanzhao Metropolis Daily. Five others have been injured, three of whom have been admitted to hospital in serious condition.

The 55-year-old suspect was said to be suffering from schizophrenia, and the case is under investigation.

Gun violence is rare in China as firearms are tightly controlled and private gun ownership is restricted.

In December, an employee of China's central bank shot and killed two colleagues at the branch he was working at in the northeastern province of Liaoning.