Washington/IBNS/UNI: Three people were shot dead in a targeted attack in Atlanta, the southeastern U.S. state of Georgia, on Saturday afternoon, said local police.

Officers responded to a call reporting that someone had been shot in the city's West End neighborhood around 1:30 p.m. (1730 GMT), the Associated Press quoted police as saying.

The shooting occurred near a mall, police said in a news release, adding that a preliminary probe showed a man opened fire at two people of whom one fired back.

All three were shot and died.