Shooting rampage in Swiss tourism hotspot leaves two dead and one injured as armed cops hunt 'dangerous' 36-year-old fugitive gunman

Police are hunting a 'dangerous' 36-year-old gunman after he allegedly killed two and wounded another in a Swiss tourist hotspot today.

Sébastien Robin allegedly opened fire on several people in the picturesque town of Sion at around 8am before going on the run, officers in Valais state said.

A manhunt is under way for Robin, who is said to have fired at his victims at the Sarosa painting company in the Ronquoz area and then in the Potences area of the small town.  

Robin appears to have known his victims, police said, but they didn't give further details or specify why he opened fire. 

They described him as a 'dangerous' fugitive and urged members of the public to avoid trying to approach him.

Swiss police said they are searching for Sébastien Robin, 36

Police cars on a closed road following a shooting in Sion, Switzerland, today 

Officers check a van near Saint Maurice, as they search for a gunman who killed two people and injured another in the southern Swiss town of Sion today

Police officers control cars near Maurice. Road blockades have been set up around the canton of Valais in an attempt to stop the gunman from fleeing the country

The man, who hasn't yet been identified, opened fire on several people in the picturesque town of Sion at around 8am before going on the run, police in Valais state said

'Two people were killed and another was injured,' police said, adding that the Robin's motives for allegedly carrying out the shootings remained unknown. 

'According to initial findings, the perpetrator knew his victims,' they said. 

Road blockades have been set up around the canton of Valais in an attempt to stop the gunman from fleeing the country. The Italian border is around 50 miles away. 

Local prosecutors opened a murder investigation and urged witnesses to come forward in Sion, a town of about 35,000 people in the south-west of the country. 

Switzerland, which has a population of around nine million, has a high rate of gun ownership.

Small Arms Survey, a Swiss-based organisation that monitors global trends in armed violence, estimates the number of firearms in civilian possession at 2.3million.

Switzerland has mandatory military service for men, meaning that all those aged between 18 and 34 are given a 'fit for service' pistol or rifle as well as training on how to use them.

Once the soldiers have finished their service in the military, they can usually buy and keep their service weapons – but they still need a permit for the guns.

Police cars on a closed road following a shooting in Sion, Switzerland, today

A police warning sign on a closed road following the incident