Four people were killed and nearly a dozen wounded, including two children, when a gunman went on a rampage Tuesday, randomly picking his targets at a school and other locations in rural northern California.
Tehama County Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston told reporters that the assailant was killed by police following the mass shooting, which began around 8:00 am (1600 GMT) at a home in Rancho Tehama Reserve and continued at several locations in the community, including the elementary school, AFP reported.
He said no children were among the dead and the motive for the assault was unclear, although it may be linked to a domestic dispute and a history of disagreements with neighbors.
"It was very clear at the onset that we had an individual that was randomly picking targets," Johnston said at a news conference.
"This man was very, very intent on completing what he set out to do today."
He said one child was shot and wounded at the school. Another suffered non-life-threatening injuries while riding in a car with his mother, who was severely wounded.
Johnston said the gunman, who has not been identified, went on his shooting spree after stealing a neighbor's vehicle and then tried to gain access to the school but was unsuccessful as it was on lockdown. He said the suspect, who was wearing a military-style vest, left the school to continue on his rampage and crashed the vehicle at one point. He then stole a second vehicle and was killed in a shootout with police.
The shooting coincides with a flare-up of the long-running debate on America's epidemic of gun violence and the ready accessibility of high-powered weapons, less than 10 days after a gunman shot dead 26 people at a church in Texas.
