A new US police officer has been fatally shot during her first day on the job in Prince William County, Virginia, officials say.

Officer Ashley Guindon was shot and killed while responding to a domestic related incident on Saturday evening, the Prince William County Police Department said.

Guindon, who was sworn in to the department on Friday, was with two other officers during the shooting.

The other two officers, whose information was not immediately available, were shot and taken to a hospital in unknown condition.

Police have arrested one person in connection with the shooting, but have not provided any information about the suspect.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), firearms are the cause of death for more than 33,000 people in the United States every year, a number that includes accidental discharge, murder and suicides.

On January 5, President Barack Obama made a passionate plea about the urgency to fight gun violence in the country, blasting Congress for inaction in the face of too many tragic deaths by firearms.

Obama said that Congress, which blocked a tougher gun bill in 2013, still needs to act to reform the US gun laws, but he is announcing executive actions because America cannot wait.

Polls show an overwhelming majority of Americans, including 84 percent of gun owners, believe background checks are necessary for gun purchases made at gun shows or online.