A gunman opened fire at a Christian school in the US city of Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday.

Three people were killed in the incident, including the suspected shooter. Another five were injured. The death toll was revised downwards after authorities initially said five people had been killed.

“We have just received an update from our command post, five dead at this point, five injured,” a police spokesman said

According to the authorities, children were among the dead.

What do we know about the shooting?

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said they believe the shooter was a juvenile whose body was found after police arrived at the scene.

At least five people were taken to area hospitals.

Abundant Life Christian School is a private school attended by approximately 400 children from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Authorities did not provide any further information about the shooter.

School shootings are not uncommon in the United States. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database website, approximately 322 shootings have been reported this year alone.

Such shootings often spark heated political debates about gun control, with many blaming easy access to guns in the U.S. for the high number of school killings.

ab/rc (Reuters, AP)