School shooting in Mexico injures 5

Mexico City, Jan 19 (IANS) - At least five people, including four teenagers and a teacher, were critically injured, after a student opened fire in a classroom at a private school in the northern city of Monterrey in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon.

"The young man takes out a gun, shoots the teacher, immediately points at another classmate, then at a third, instants later at a fourth, pauses as if he is going to reload or something like that, gives instructions to other classmates and then shoots himself," Nuevo Leon spokesman for security matters Aldo Fasci told a radio station Grupo Formula.

Most of the injured were shot in the head, including the 24-year-old teacher, and 15-year-old girl and two boys, who were taken to area hospitals, Xinhua news agency reported.

Local media have only identified the shooter by his first name, Fernando, and have described him as a young man suffering from mental problems.

The incident, which took place at the American School of the Northwest, has sparked discussion about the need to resume a policy of checking students' backpacks, a measure that was cancelled after parents complained.

"We need to pay more attention to our children, and be more careful about what they carry and who they meet with, because they have access to everything online," said Governor Jaime Rodriguez.