Five dead in California shooting spree that ended at school

Five people died in a shooting spree on Tuesday that ended at a school in a remote area of rural Northern California .

Law enforcement officers shot dead the gunman after a series of shootings at seven or more locations, according to  local newspaper the Record Searchlight.

The spree began at a home and ended at Rancho Tehama School near the town of Corning.

The shooter was armed with a semi-automatic rifle and two handguns, Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston told local media.

He said a number of students were airlifted for medical care after gunfire at the school but the authorities did not know what had motivated the shooter.

Shots were fired at the school and some people were injured at the campus but no students or staff members died, Corning Union Elementary School District administrative assistant Jeanine Quist said. The area is about 120 miles (190 km) north of Sacramento.

California Governor Jerry Brown said in a statement he and his wife were "saddened to hear about today's violence in Tehama County, which shockingly involved schoolchildren".

"We offer our condolences to the families who lost loved ones and unite with all Californians in grief," he said.

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A parent, Coy Ferreira, said he was dropping off his daughter when he heard gunshots.

"One of the teachers came running out of the building and told us to all run inside because there was a shooter coming," he told television station KRCR. "So we all hurried up and ran and told the students to get in the classrooms."

Once inside a classroom, Ferreira said he heard gunfire for over 20 minutes and a student in the room was struck.

The shooter's name has not yet been released.