US police probe school shooting

The case is likely to re-ignite the gun law controversy

Seattle police are hunting a 13-year-old boy who fled after firing a shot into the ceiling of a busy school cafeteria.

No one was injured in the incident.

Witnesses said the gunman, who has not been named, stood on a table and fired a shot into the ceiling.

The boy then apparently ordered frightened students to move onto a nearby stage. However, when panicking students instead scattered, the gunman managed to escape.

A police spokesman said it was unclear what had happened to the gunman after the incident, and speculated that the boy may still be in the vicinity.

The incident happened during a break in summer classes at Dimmit Middle school, near Seattle, at about 1045 local time (1845 GMT).

Police have surrounded the school, and are continuing to search for the suspect.

Authorities are also trying to account for some students who fled during the confusion, as they try to find out exactly what went on in the cafeteria.

Other witnesses were escorted away from the scene in armoured vehicles. Police said it was unclear how many students had been in the building at the time of the shooting.

'Threat' claim

One student was quoted by the Associated Press agency, as saying the boy had previously often spoken of killing people.

The source quoted the gunman as saying "You don't have to worry about school any more...Today's your last day of school."

The incident will again raise questions about the widespread availability of guns in the United States, which is suffering a wave of shootings in its schools.

The most notorious of these came in April 1999 when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 12 of their classmates and a teacher, before turning their guns on themselves, at Columbine High School in Denver, Colorado.