Three people are dead and at least six others injured after a youth opened fire with a handgun at a private Christian school in Wisconsin a week before the Christmas break, authorities said.
Officers found the juvenile shooter, believed to be a student, already deceased on Monday.
Police did not fire their weapons at the child thought to have been armed with a 9mm pistol but the attack at Abundant Life Christian School took place three miles from one of their training centres.
No details of the victims or those wounded in America’s latest gun massacre have been released. Police had originally said five people died, but later revised that number to three.
The first officers to respond immediately administered “life-saving efforts” for the wounded at 11.00am local time (5pm GMT), Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes told reporters.
Describing the incident as “a sad, sad day”, he added: “I’m feeling a little dismayed now, so close to Christmas.
“Every child, every person in that building is a victim, and will be a victim forever. These types of trauma don’t just go away.
“My heart is heavy for Madison and we have to come together as a community and find out what happened here and make sure it doesn’t happen in any other place that should be a refuge for students in our community.”
Barnes suggested the young suspect died by suicide.
John Diaz De Leon, who lives nearby and attends the adjacent City Church, told WMTV-TV he heard an intense blare of sirens as police responded.
“I didn’t know there were that many squad cars in Madison. We saw a few guys with long guns. They went into the school with a dog,” De Leon said of police. “Later on I saw groups of kids coming out of the school into the church sanctuary.”
Police had blocked off roads around the school.
Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have responded to the scene to assist local law enforcement.
“We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond,” Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said in a statement.
Abundant Life Christian School is nondenominational and has about 390 students, from kindergarten through high school, according to its website.
President Joe Biden has been informed, the White House said. Senior officials are in touch with local authorities.
State senator Tammy Baldwin says “my heart goes out to all those impacted” while colleague Ron Johnson wrote: “My sincere condolences and prayers for all the victims of the tragedy at Abundant Life Christian School.”
