Police have surrounded a building, believed to be the suspect's home, where he is said to be holed up.

The shooting took place in Port-Marly, about 20km west of Paris, and the suspect is understood to be a man in his 60s.

A spokeswoman for the Versailles public prosecutor's office said the incident did not appear to be an act of terrorism.

"He went home and the RAID (elite police) is readying for negotiations with him," she added.

The victims are said to be a 57-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man, injured in what prosecutors have described as "a private dispute".

According to French news channel BFM TV, they are both seriously injured and are being treated in hospital.

The Local reports that a rifle was found in the suspect's car.