It said the suspect – identified only as a man born in 1988 – fired several rounds at a market in the city of Rustavi, an industrial hub of 126,000 people 25km from the capital Tbilisi.

“Four people were killed as a result, including the suspect’s uncle who worked at the market,” it said in its statement.

“The suspect was detained at the scene,” the ministry added. “One person was injured and taken to a hospital.”

It did not specify what type of firearm was used or give any indication of the motive behind the incident.

Mass shootings are relatively rare in Georgia, where illegal possession of firearms is punishable by six years in prison.

Last year, a retired military officer killed five people, including a police officer, and injured another five in the country’s eastern Kakheti region, before committing suicide.