MULTIPLE people have been injured after a shooting at a German university.

Police say a man shot and wounded several people in a lecture hall in the town of Heidelberg.

The suspected shooter is dead, police confirmed. Bild reported that he turned the gun on himself.

A police statement said: "A single perpetrator injured several people in a lecture hall with a long gun.

"The perpetrator himself is dead.

"Colleagues are still on site with strong forces - we will provide further information."

According to news agency dpa, the gunman was a student and was carrying several firearms during the attack. 

An earlier statement by police read: "Large-scale deployment. Multiple injuries.

"Police and rescue workers with strong forces on site. We will keep you updated as soon as more details are known."

Officers asked motorists to avoid Neuenheimer Feld in Heidelberg, where the university's science faculty and clinic are located, so that rescue workers and emergency services could reach the scene.

Heidelberg has a population of around 160,000 and is located south of Frankfurt. The town's university is one of Germany's best-known.