Hostage Dies After SWAT Storms Building

A girl has been shot dead by a gunman after a siege at a school in the tiny mountain town of Bailey, Colorado.

The man, who also shot himself, opened fire when police stormed the building in a bid to free the girl and a classmate.

Six girls were taken hostage by the armed man at the high school and were used as human shields for several hours and sexual assaulted before the siege came to its violent end.

The gunman, believed to be between 30 and 50-years-old, was cornered with the girls in a second-floor classroom of Platte Canyon High School and he released four of them, one by one.

Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener said authorities decided to enter the school after the man cut off negotiations and set a deadline.

"Within seconds the suspect shot at entering SWAT officers then shot one of the two female hostages and then shot himself.

Earlier this month a shooting occurred on 13 September, 2006 at Dawson College, near downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The perpetrator, Kimveer Gill, began shooting outside the entrance to the school, and then moved towards the atrium.

One victim died at the scene, while another 19 were injured, eight of whom were listed in critical condition with six requiring surgery. The gunman later committed suicide by shooting himself in the head, after being shot in the arm by police.