2 dead in shooting at Florida nightclub

At least two people were killed and 17 others wounded in a shooting early on Monday at a Florida nightclub, police said, in an incident that reportedly occurred at a party for teenagers.

The attack comes just six weeks after an attack at a gay club in the state left 49 dead in the worst massacre on US soil since attacks on Sept 11, 2001.

Officers have detained one "person of interest" and two other individuals for questioning over the latest shooting, which happened at Club Blu in Fort Myers.

The venue was holding a party for teens at the time, local CBS affiliate reported.

The Fort Myers Police Department reported that while two individuals were fatally shot, 17 more sustained minor to life-threatening wounds during the episode, which occurred in the club's parking lot.

A nearby home and vehicles were also shot at, resulting in one minor injury, the department said in a statement.

"At this time the scene is still very active as investigators and crime scene personnel attempt to determine what had occurred," the statement said, adding that multiple area streets had been closed.

Officers are "actively canvassing the area looking for other people who may be involved in this incident", although the area had been deemed safe.

An attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12 left 49 dead in the worst gun massacre in recent US history.

Police killed the gunman, Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old US citizen of Afghan origin, after a three-hour standoff.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for that attack, calling the Mateen "one of the soldiers of the caliphate". US authorities have said he was radicalized after watching jihadist propaganda online.

That rampage and other recent shootings have renewed debate about gun laws in the United States.

After the incident, the White House denounced the "cowardice" of US senators who failed to pass gun control legislation.