Indian-American among those killed in US Navy Yard shooting

Indian-American Vishnu Pandit was among the 12 individuals killed by a gunman at a highly secure Navy Yard in the American Capital, the latest in the series of mass shootouts in the US in the last few years.

Indian-American Vishnu Pandit was among the 12 individuals killed by a gunman at a highly secure Navy Yard in the American Capital, the latest in the series of mass shootouts in the US in the last few years.

No other details were immediately known about Pandit, except that he was a defence contractor.

In all 12 people - mostly military contractors - were killed when the gunman, himself a defence contractor from Fort Worth in Texas, went on a shooting rampage inside the Washington Navy Yard on Monday.

The other six identified were Michael Arnold, 59; Sylvia Frasier, 53; Kathy Gaarde, 62; John Roger Johnson, 73; Frank Kohler, 50; and Kenneth Bernard Proctor, 46.

President Barack Obama condemned the shooting at Washington's Navy Yard as a "cowardly act".

Later, Obama issued a proclamation in the honour of those who died in the shooting and ordered that the national flag be flown at half-mast. He also cancelled a musical evening scheduled at the White House.