Three people, including the assailant, were critically injured in a shooting at a high school in the eastern US state of Maryland today, officials said, just days before a nationwide student-organised march against school violence.
The shooting occurred shortly after 8:00 am (1200 GMT) at Great Mills High School, located about a 90-minute drive southeast of the US capital Washington.
"A single shooter fired a round at a female victim just at the beginning of the school hours this morning," St. Mary's County Sheriff Tim Cameron told the MSNBC television network.
The sheriff said the shooter was "engaged" by the "school resource officer" responsible for security and was critically wounded.
He said a female student was in critical condition and a "young man" was in critical but stable condition. All three were taken to area hospitals for treatment.
Police cars and emergency vehicles with flashing lights could be seen surrounding the school.
"It happened really quickly, right after school started," Jonathan Freese, a Great Mills student, told CNN.
"The police came and responded really quickly," Freese said. "They had a lot of officers respond."
"Now my school is the target," she said. "WHY DO WE LET THIS KEEP HAPPENING??? I'm so tired I'm so tired."
"You never think it'll be your school and then it is," Davis said. "Great Mills is a wonderful school and somewhere I am proud to go. Why us?"
"We are Here for you, students of Great Mills," Gonzalez said. "Together we can stop this from ever happening again."