On Monday morning, a gunman killed two people at a high school in the St. Louis area before being shot dead by police officers who responded to the scene.

In the incident that occurred shortly after 9 a.m. at Central Visual Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, a teacher, and a student were killed.

As of 10 a.m. local time, authorities were still searching the building for additional victims, according to a statement from the school.

According to reports, eight victims were transported to a hospital with injuries ranging from gunshot wounds to cardiac arrest.

Several students told the Post-Dispatch that they initially believed it to be a drill until the principal uttered the code word for a shooting. Students jumped out of school building windows to escape the scene.

A student told a newspaper that she heard the gunman, whom she did not recognize, remark that he was "tired of everyone" at the school.

A 61-year-old educator has been identified by her family as one of the fatal shooting victims.

This morning's violence resulted in the shooting death of physical education instructor Jean Kirk Kuzcka.

Ms. Kuczka's daughter, Abigail Kuczka, told the Post-Dispatch, "My mother loved children." "She was fond of her students. I am aware that her students viewed her as their mother because many of them did not have a stable home life."

In her school biography, Ms. Kuzcka stated that she could not envision herself in any other profession. She had taught at the high school for the performing arts since 2008.