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Fatal shooting at US Amish school Fatal shooting at US Amish school
(30 minutes later)
Six people are reported killed and three injured in a shooting at an Amish school in Pennsylvania, US. A gunman has shot dead three children and injured seven before killing himself in an attack on an Amish school the US state of Pennsylvania.
The attack happened in a one-room schoolhouse in the village of Paradise near Nickel Mines in Lancaster County.The attack happened in a one-room schoolhouse in the village of Paradise near Nickel Mines in Lancaster County.
According to initial reports a gunman entered the school and ordered some pupils to leave before opening fire on those remaining, then shooting himself. The gunman entered the mixed class and ordered all male pupils and some adults to leave. He then tied up the girls and began shooting them in the head.
TV footage has shown emergency workers carrying victims on stretchers, watched by anxious Amish community members. Police say the killer was a local truck driver named Charles Carl Roberts IV.
It is not yet known whether the gunman came from the tight-knit Amish community or was an outsider.
The Amish are Anabaptist Christians who live away from the modern world, with restrictions on the use of modern devices such as cars and telephones.The Amish are Anabaptist Christians who live away from the modern world, with restrictions on the use of modern devices such as cars and telephones.
"So far six confirmed dead and the helicopters are pulling into (Lancaster General Hospital) like crazy," Lancaster County Coroner G Gary Kirchner said. John Lines, a spokesman from Lancaster Hospital, said three of the injured people were girls aged between six and 11, all of whom had been shot in the head.
The gunman is reported to be among the dead, along with a teacher and four children. The school has pupils up to the age of 14 and was used by about 30 pupils.
John Lines, a spokesman from Lancaster Hospital, said the three injured people were girls aged between six and 11, all of whom had been shot in the head.
The school has pupils up to the age of 14 and is believed to have been used by about 20-30 children.
Police have sealed off the area around the small rural town, about 60 miles (100km) north of the city of Baltimore.
Week of violenceWeek of violence
John Eby from WDAC radio based in Lancaster County told the BBC that the Amish community would be deeply shocked by the attack.John Eby from WDAC radio based in Lancaster County told the BBC that the Amish community would be deeply shocked by the attack.
"This school is a one room school, it's surrounded by farms and small businesses, many of them owned and operated by the Amish who are a very close, tight-knit community and for something like this to invade their community is just unbelievable," he said."This school is a one room school, it's surrounded by farms and small businesses, many of them owned and operated by the Amish who are a very close, tight-knit community and for something like this to invade their community is just unbelievable," he said.
FACTS ABOUT THE AMISH Anabaptist Christian denominationCommunities in the US and CanadaMany communities reject links to outside worldMost Amish shun modern technology including electricity and carsPlain clothing - no buttons allowed in some communitiesSpeak English and a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch In pictures: School attack In a separate incident, two Las Vegas schools, one high school and one elementary school, have been locked down while police hunt for a teenager spotted carrying a gun on the high school campus.FACTS ABOUT THE AMISH Anabaptist Christian denominationCommunities in the US and CanadaMany communities reject links to outside worldMost Amish shun modern technology including electricity and carsPlain clothing - no buttons allowed in some communitiesSpeak English and a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch In pictures: School attack In a separate incident, two Las Vegas schools, one high school and one elementary school, have been locked down while police hunt for a teenager spotted carrying a gun on the high school campus.
Swat teams have surrounded the schools - Mojave High and Elizonda Elementary. Dog units combing the area have reportedly found a weapon, but police fear the suspect may still be armed.Swat teams have surrounded the schools - Mojave High and Elizonda Elementary. Dog units combing the area have reportedly found a weapon, but police fear the suspect may still be armed.
These latest incidents follow a week of gun-related violence in US schoolsThese latest incidents follow a week of gun-related violence in US schools
Last Wednesday a 16-year-old girl died when an armed man took six students hostage at a Colorado high school.Last Wednesday a 16-year-old girl died when an armed man took six students hostage at a Colorado high school.
Emily Keyes was shot when officers stormed the school in Bailey after more than three hours. The gunman also killed himself.Emily Keyes was shot when officers stormed the school in Bailey after more than three hours. The gunman also killed himself.
And on Friday, John Klang, the head teacher at a high school in Cazenovia, Wisconsin, was killed when he confronted an armed 15-year-old student as he entered the school.And on Friday, John Klang, the head teacher at a high school in Cazenovia, Wisconsin, was killed when he confronted an armed 15-year-old student as he entered the school.
The teenager, Eric Hainstock, was arrested and has been charged with murder.The teenager, Eric Hainstock, was arrested and has been charged with murder.

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