The bloodshed at the school of nearly 1,150 students in a small farming town about 130 miles (210 km) northwest of Nashville, Tennessee, was the latest outbreak of gun violenc ethat has become a regular occurrence at schools and college campuses across the United States over the past several years.

After the shooting, signs of chaos in the school were abundant, Marshall County Attorney Jeff Edwards told the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper.

"To walk in, the backpacks laying around, the phones layingaround, going off ... it's indescribable," he was quoted assaying.

Church vigils were planned for Tuesday evening.

Reuters