Shooting at the Holocaust museum in Washington DC on Wednesday afternoon has left two wounded leading to the closure of the museum and nearby roads.

Police spokesperson, Sergeant David Schlosser, told reporters the gunman walked into the building and fired a shot at the security guard before being wounded himself.

Both the gunman and the security guard were both taken to hospital with gunshot wounds after the 1pm shooting.

The gunman is reported by various news agencies as, James W. Von Brunn; a white supremacist his late eighties.

The motive for the shooting remains unclear.

The museum, located just off the National Mall near the Washington Monument, is a popular tourist attraction, drawing approximately 1.7 million visitors each year.