NEW YORK, Dec 14, 2012 (AFP) - Armed officers rushed to a Connecticut elementary school in response to a shooting incident and other schools in the area were reportedly placed under lock-down.

"There was a shooting. I cannot give you details," Paul Vance, a spokesman for Connecticut State Police, said.

The incident occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut, northeast of New York City.

The Newtown Bee newspaper published a photo on its website of officers leading more than a dozen clearly frightened small children across a parking lot and another image of officers gathering in the leafy neighborhood.

On the Newtown Public School District website, an alert was posted warning that "afternoon kindergarten is cancelled today" and that there would be no lunch-hour bus runs.

Officials would not immediately comment on local media reports about injuries.