Nevada residents are grieving today after a middle school student shot and killed a staff member at Sparks Middle School and wounded two fellow students. The gunman is reported to be dead, although police have not released whether he was shot or if he succumbed to a self-inflicted wound.

The two students who were shot are reportedly in critical condition, and one of them has already been through surgery. The staff member–who has not been identified yet–is believed to have died while shielding students from gunfire.

“In my estimation is he’s a hero,” Reno’s Deputy Police Chief Tom Robinson said at a news conference.

The shots rang out early this morning, while students were still arriving at school, and officials say they have between 20 and 30 witnesses who saw or heard what happened. Everyone was immediately evacuated to nearby Sparks High School, where parents could pick them up. School administrators say classes have been cancelled for the rest of the week and grief counselors are standing by.

Over the years as more and more stories come in of school shootings, many states have seen a rise in requests for tougher gun laws; after the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut last December that took 26 lives, many want to see a change in the way automatic weapons are sold. Unfortunately, gun laws are not easy things to change from state to state, and the fight continues.

Image: KTLA5