One dead in high school shooting, student reportedly arrested

FBI and local police investigators search for evidence in a rural area of Chardon Township following the shooting. Photo / AP

A gunman opened fire inside a high school in the US state of Ohio this morning, wounding five students, one of whom later died, authorities said. A suspect believed to be a student was arrested a short distance away.

The suspect was taken into custody near his car about one kilometer from the suburban Cleveland school, said FBI agent Vicki Anderson.

Students screamed and ran in panic through the halls when gunfire broke out just after classes had begun at the 1100-student Chardon High School.

Heather Ziska, 17, said she was in the cafeteria when she and other students heard popping noises in the hall. She said she saw a boy she recognized as a fellow student come into the cafeteria and start shooting.

She said she and several others immediately ran outside, while other friends ran into another nearby school and others locked themselves in a teachers' lounge.

"Everybody just started running," said 17-year-old Megan Hennessy, who was in class when she heard loud noises. "Everyone was running and screaming down the hallway."

Television news footage showed anxious parents escorting children away from a school building, and ambulances could be seen outside.

Five students were taken to local hospitals, spokeswomen said.

One student later died, Police Chief Timothy McKenna said at a news conference. He hasn't been charged, and his name isn't being released because he is a juvenile.

Chardon, a city of about 5,100 people, is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of Cleveland.

-AP