One student killed as 'smiling' classmate opens fire at Californian high school

A TEENAGER was smiling as he shot one classmate dead and wounded 14 others at a high school in suburban San Diego, California, yesterday, said police and survivors.

A TEENAGER was smiling as he shot one classmate dead and wounded 14 others at a high school in suburban San Diego, California, yesterday, said police and survivors.

The unnamed student, who opened fire with a long-barrelled pistol in a school courtyard and a toilet at the Santana High School in Santee, has been arrested, said a spokesman for the sheriff's department.

George Stevenson, a student who described himself as the best friend of the freshman being held, said the youth had talked at the weekend of a plan to shoot people and flee to Mexico. "But I thought he was joking," he added.

A student named Daniel, said: "All I heard was pop, pop, pop, three or four gunshots went off, and that's when everybody started running. Most of my friends took off." Student Alicia Zimmer, said the shooting broke out as classes were changing. One girl had blood on her arms. "A lot of people were standing around in a circle looking at the girl ... all of a sudden we heard more shots go off. It sounded more like a cap gun than anything."

"It was really scary. Everybody was running. A whole lot of people were crying."

One parent described the student as "quite the troublemaker" who had openly broadcast his intentions.

Heavily armed police combed the school after the shooting to make sure there was not a second gunman. School shootings have been plaguing America, but none has matched the attack on Columbine High School in Colorado 22 months ago, in which 15 people including the two gunmen were killed and two dozen teenagers wounded.

Heightened security at schools has led to the seizure of weapons from suspect students. It has also unleashed a wave of paranoia, with teenagers suspended or thrown out of school for little more than writing spooky stories or wearing unconventional clothes.