Three dead, including gunman, after shooting at St. Louis high school, officials say

Three people are dead, including the gunman, after a shooting at a St. Louis high school Monday morning sent nine people to hospitals, police said.

The 20-year-old shooter was taken into custody inside Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, according to a tweet from St. Louis Public Schools. He was pronounced dead a short time later, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said during an afternoon news conference.

The names of the gunman and the other two victims were not released. One of the victims is a woman. The other is a teenage girl.

Chaos unfolded shortly after 9 a.m. when authorities learned of a shooter with a long gun inside the school. Both Central Visual and Performing Arts High School and the Collegiate School of Medicine & Bioscience were placed on lockdown.

Students were evacuated, and parents were directed to Gateway STEM High School to reunite with their children.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department asked the public to stay away from the area during the investigation.

The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the scene.

“At this time, the scene is secure and there is no active threat,” police said in a tweet.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones weighed in on the shooting as news of the incident spread.

“Help us Jesus,” she tweeted.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.