A man attempted to break into a US Orthodox Jewish school with a gun to carry out a “potential mass shooting” but was thwarted by police and a set of locked security doors.

The man in his 40s attempted to enter the Margolin Hebrew Academy in Memphis, Tennessee on Monday. 

The incident occurred at around 12:20pm. The suspect fired shots after he couldn't get into the building before leaving in a maroon truck.

He was later shot after being found by police and was rushed to hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.

According to local media reports, a Jewish security group said the suspect was a former student and that the incident appeared to be personal in nature. 

A spokesman for the Memphis Police Department, who have not released the identity of the suspect, said officers had “mitigated a potential mass shooting situation.”

Margolin Hebrew Academy

Margolin Hebrew Academy (Photo: School issue)

Assistant Police Chief Don Crowe said: “Today is a great example of very alert, vigilant officers trying to protect the city.

“I personally truly believe that we have avoided a tragedy. I think the suspect was going to harm somebody before the day was over.

He added: “Thankfully, that school had a great safety procedure and process in place and avoided anyone being harmed or injured at that scene.”

US Republican Congressman Steve Cohen, whose district includes Memphis, said in a statement that he was "shocked" to hear about the incident at the school and noted that acts of "violent antisemitism" were on the rise across the country.

Senate minority leader Raumesh Akbari, a Democrat representing Memphis, demanded tougher gun control.

He said: “With the new school year approaching, this is the second shooting at a school campus in Memphis in less than a week.

“'No family and no community should have to live in constant fear that gun violence may claim the lives of their children or loved ones. 

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Police chiefs giving an update to the media after the incident (Photo: Getty)

“We are not helpless against this epidemic of gun violence. We can enact reforms that stop future gun violence. 

“Now, it's more urgent than ever that lawmakers come together during our special session to give police the tools they need prevent shootings from happening in the first place.”

The school was still on summer break during the incident but there were several employees on site at the time of the incident. 

Michael Masters, CEO of the Secure Community Network, which helps to coordinate security for Jewish institutions in the US, said the building immediately went into lockdown. 

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into the attempted attack.

American Jewish schools and universities have invested heavily in security measures in recent years as incidents of antisemitism soar across the country.