It sounds to me like this was a case of two students settling some beef, one student with a "small handgun'' media accounts say, and is gang-related violence -- a poor event to make the case for the prevention of a mass-killing.

Has this been a case of a flack jacketed psycho with multiple weapons and some revenge motive; the outcome may or may not been affected by one armed guard.

I think there is a parallel to the "liberation movement suicide bomber" and the "psycho school house shooter" -- they are both intent on delivering a statement with the mass deaths of their "oppressors" even at the cost of their own life -- true desperadoes.

We seem to be heading for a version of TSA for our schools in the end ...