France shooting: Two people in critical condition after man opens fire near Paris

Elite police officers surround the apartment where suspect has taken refuge

The suspect opened fire near a Super U supermarket in Port-Marly, west of Paris (Google Maps)

Two people are in a critical condition after a man opened fire near a supermarket in a town west of Paris.

Elite police officers have surrounded the apartment where the suspect has taken refuge in the town of Port-Marly.

The man, believed to be in his 60s or 70s, reportedly opened fire at a 57-year-old cashier with a shotgun and then targeted a 73-year-old man before fleeing the scene.

He is known to police for violent behaviour, according to BMF TV.

A police spokesman said: "[The shooter] went home and the RAID [elite police unit] is readying for negotiations with him."

The shooter is believed to have been a regular customer at the supermarket, The Local reports, and the shooting has been described as a "personal dispute".