In a series of violent confrontations Friday, a heavily armed gunman killed as many as six people and wounded at five others before being shot dead by police in the Santa Monica College library, police said.

A "person of interest" was also taken into custody, but it was not immediately clear whether he was involved in the shooting spree.

"The information we have indicates, at this point, that as many as half a dozen victims were shot and killed and several more were injured," Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said at a late afternoon news briefing.

The gunman, who was not immediately identified, was described as white or Latino with curly hair and 20 to 30 years old. Witnesses said he wore body armor and a helmet and brandished a semiautomatic rifle, a shotgun, a handgun and an ammunition belt. His black sweatshirt had "Life is a Gamble" on the back.

He was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police in the library as students studying for final exams dived for cover or ran for safety. Beforehand, students, many wearing headphones, either did not hear or ignored several "pops."

There were no immediate reports on whether students or staff were hit by the gunfire. The 38-acre main campus remained locked down throughout the afternoon. The bomb squad examined suspicious bags the gunman left behind and police searched for a possible second suspect.

Three women in a car were shot and wounded during the chaotic events, which began just before noon PT (3 p.m. ET). One later died at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Another woman was in critical condition and one was in serious condition.

A woman shot in another car was in good condition at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, the hospitals said.

The violence occurred about three miles from where President Obama was appearing at a Democratic fundraiser. Authorities do not believe it was related to the president's visit.

The series of incidents -- Santa Monica police said possibly six -- began when a gunman tried to break into a house near the two-year college and then set fire to and shot up another home, about a mile from campus.

Two bodies were found in the house on Yorkshire Avenue, a fire department spokesman told the Associated Press. At least one of the two men died from gunshots, sources told KABC-TV.

Jerry Cunningham Rathner, who lives nearby, told AP that she heard gunshots shortly before noon and then saw a man shooting at a neighbors' home. The residence quickly erupted in flames and billowing smoke.

She said the gunman then went to the corner and pointed a military-style rifle at a woman in a car, ordering her to pull over. He then motioned to another car to slow down before opening fire.

"He fired three to four shots into the car -- boom, boom, boom, right at her," Rathner told AP, adding the the driver was wounded only in the shoulder.

Other witnesses reported the gunman tried to carjack a woman and shot at other vehicles on Pico Boulevard, including a transit bus and police vehicle.

"This guy just stepped out with a big rifle," Santa Monica College student Marta Fagerstroem, who was aboard the Metro bus, told KNBC-TV.

The gunman then fled, and police believe he went on to shoot several others along the Pico Boulevard area. One shooting occurred at 28th Street and Pico Boulevard, followed by one slaying at Pico and Cloverfield boulevards and two more near 19th and Pearl streets.

KABC-TV reported that another shooting, believed to be related, was reported on 21st Street, just east of campus. A witness said a man dressed in black got out of a vehicle and started shooting indiscriminately in the intersection.

The gunman eventually made his way onto campus. A lock-down was ordered and police evacuated some students as they searched for the gunman.

Student Jimes Gillespie, who was studying in the library, told the Associated Press that he saw a gunman with a shotgun but also heard gunfire from a handgun, leading him to believe there were two shooters. But law enforcement told other news outlets only one gunman was involved.

Another student told KNX that he heard four shots near the library exit, quickly followed by a rapid volley of gunfire. It was not clear if police had fired.

The college canceled afternoon and evening final exams at the main campus. All Santa Monica city schools were placed on lockdown.

Obama was scheduled to helicopter back to the Los Angeles airport but instead traveled by motorcade "to avoid any impact on the ongoing local response to the shooting in the area," the White House press office said.

The president left LAX about 2:40 p.m. to travel to the Mojave Desert resort of Rancho Mirage for his summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

WarOne wrote:A house theft turns into a series of arsons, shootings, attempted car jackings? This guy meant to do more than just break into a house.

EDIT: And the president was three miles away at a fundraiser. Oh yeah, and it continued on while this was going on. Shouldn't there of been at least a better attempt at protecting the president or caring about people getting shot three miles away?

 azazel the cat wrote:

WarOne wrote:A house theft turns into a series of arsons, shootings, attempted car jackings? This guy meant to do more than just break into a house.

EDIT: And the president was three miles away at a fundraiser. Oh yeah, and it continued on while this was going on. Shouldn't there of been at least a better attempt at protecting the president or caring about people getting shot three miles away?

Next time you're at a rock concert, I want you to go home, trawl through the newspapers, and then ask yourself why you didn't care more about all the crime that occurred several miles away from the concert venue while you were bopping along inside.

Or, y'know, continue with your any-excuse-to-criticize-the-president-you-don't-like-even-if-it-cheapens-the-weight-of-real-criticism commentary. Either way.