Prophet Mohamed cartoon exhibition shooting: Two armed men shot dead after opening fire on 'free speech' event in Garland, Texas

'Extreme free speech event' came under attack from two men, said reports

The United States is once again reeling after two gunmen who reportedly opened fire at an exhibition displaying cartoons of Prophet Muhammad were themselves shot dead. Initial reports said the men may have been carrying explosives.

Reports on Sunday night said the men were shot outside an event near Dallas that had styled itself an "extreme free speech" exhibition. A security guard was reportedly shot and injured. Reports said a large number of police officers were on duty at the event, perhaps in anticipation of some sort of problem.

"We were prepared for something like this because there additional officers hired by the school district," Joe Harn, a spokesman for Garland Police Department told a press conference on Sunday evening. "There is a lot of investigating to be done." Reuters said the men were shot and killed after firing on the guard outside the Curtis Culwell Centre in Garland, Texas, during a so-called family event where caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad were being displayed. The shooting is said to have happened at around 7pm local time.

The event had been organised by Pamela Geller, head of the American Freedom Defence Initiative (AFDI).

The New York-based organisation - which has previously been at the centre controversy in San Francisco where it paid for anti-Muslim advertisements on the city's buses - had been hosting a contest at the centre that intended to award $10,000 for the best cartoon depicting Muhammad.

She told Fox News: "This terrible event is how illustrative of how crucial the issue of free speech is."

A police officer prevents attendees from leaving the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest after shots were fired outside the venue in Texas. (Reuters)

The Associated Press said there were fears that the vehicle belonging to the gunmen may contain an “incendiary device". A bomb squad was dispatched to the scene, and nearby businesses were evacuated.

A police officer directs the evacuation of attendees of the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest, after a shooting outside the venue. (Reuters)

The building and surrounding area was placed on lock-down by a police SWAT team with hundreds of attendees still inside after multiple gunshots were heard.