A yet-to-be-identified woman has saved many lives after shooting a man who had opened fire on a crowd of people with a semi-automatic rifle in Charleston, West Virginia.

According to the BBC, Dennis Butler, the gunman, was killed after he targeted a group of around 40 guests who were attending a birthday party on May 25.

Butler, a man with an extensive criminal history, had first driven by the area earlier in the day and was warned to slow down because children were playing.

He returned armed with an AR-15-type rifle and opened fire from his vehicle on the people attending the birthday-graduation party outside the apartment complex in the city.

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Tony Hazelett, Police spokesman in the area, said the unnamed woman’s quick reaction saved lives and may have prevented a mass shooting.

Hazelett told a news conference that the woman who fired back did not have any police background and had not been identified.

“She’s a member of the community who was carrying her weapon lawfully,” Hazelett said.

“And instead of running from the threat she engaged with the threat and saved several lives.”

“The woman remained at the scene after the shooting, and is cooperating with investigators. Charges will not be filed against her.”

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The police said Butler was found dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.

Hazelett said it was not yet clear how Butler obtained the weapon, as he was not legally allowed to carry it as a convicted felon.

The shooting comes a day after a teenage gunman killed 21 people, including 19 school pupils, at a Texas primary school with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle that had been purchased legally.

The Texas shooting, which has been deemed in many quarters as America’s worst school shooting in a decade, reignited the debate over private gun ownership in the country.