At least three people, including the suspected gunman, have died and seven others are injured after a shooting at a high school in St Louis, Missouri.
The gunman entered Central Visual & Performing Arts High School shortly after 09:00 local time (13:00 GMT) on Monday. The doors of the school building were locked and it was not immediately clear how the suspect entered. Witnesses say lives were saved after the gunman’s weapon jammed mid-attack.
The suspect, identified by police as a 19-year-old former student, exchanged gunfire with police and later succumbed to his injuries.
His motive for the attack at the school of about 400 students is unclear.A teenage girl was pronounced dead inside the school, while one woman died in hospital, police told local media.The seven injured – three girls and four boys – all had non-life-threatening injuries, according to local media.
He said seven security workers on site had acted quickly to notify other staff and contact police. The gunman was found to be carrying hundreds of bullets that were sorted into nearly a dozen high-capacity magazines.Police said the gunman graduated last year from the school and had no history of criminal behaviour.
One of the victims was identified by family as health teacher Jean Kuczka. Kuczka had taught at the school since 2008, according to an online biography, and was a grandmother of seven.”My mom loved kids,” her daughter Abigail Kuczka said adding that she had died protecting her students. Those injured are said to be suffering from gunshot wounds, shrapnel injuries and cardiac arrest
.”They shouldn’t have to go through active shooter drills in case something happens. And unfortunately, that happened today.”
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