US officer shot dead in Florida

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - A manhunt is underway after a lone gunman shot dead an Orlando police officer on Monday.

Master Sgt. Debra Clayton, a 17-year veteran of the Orlando Police Department, was killed after the assailant fired on her near an Orlando Walmart, Orlando Police Chief John Mina told reporters.

Police identified the suspected shooter as Markeith Loyd.

He is wanted by police for the December murder of a pregnant woman. A local CBS affiliate identified the woman as Loyd's girlfriend.

After the shooting, a deputy identified Loyd at which point he fired at the officer's vehicle before fleeing in a stolen car and later abandoned the vehicle, Mina said.

"He will be brought to justice," said Mina.

Police said a second officer was killed in a traffic accident while pursuing the manhunt.

Roughly a dozen schools in the area have been put on lockdown as police continue the search, according to multiple reports.

Clayton is survived by her husband and two children, said Mina.