Three children and three staff members were killed in a school shooting in the US' Tennessee state on Monday morning, raising concerns on the failure of ongoing gun control measures by the government and law enforcement agencies.

This time, the shooter was a 28-year-old girl, who was "engaged" by law enforcement officers and killed after the incident. She was carrying two "assault-type rifles and a handgun", said police.

The shooting took place in a private Christian school in Nashville that runs from preschool through to the sixth grade.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the school shooting.

The police got the first calls sometime past 10 am Central Time. "The police department response was swift," police spokesperson Don Aaron told reporters.

School shooting
School shooting [File photo]Reuters

"They heard shots coming from the second level. They immediately went to the gunfire. When the officers got to the second level, they saw a shooter, a female, who was firing. The officers engaged her. She was fatally shot by responding police officers."

There was no official word on the shooter's motivation.

School shootings have become tragically commonplace in the US. Just a few days ago, a 17-year-old was fatally shot after he had shot and wounded two members of the administrative staff of a Denver school.

Sandy Hook Promise, an organization founded and run by family members of the victims of the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook school in Connecticut, called gun violence and school shootings "a uniquely American epidemic".

Gun Control Reforms not effective still

Mass shootings, incidents with four or more victims, are even more common. Easy access to deadly weapons is to be blamed chiefly, but gun law reforms have been slow and bitterly contested by a powerful gun lobby.

Often triggered by factors such as poverty, unemployment, mental illness, and a lack of access to mental health services, many people resort to mass shooting and often make school children the targets.

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File: A police officer stands guard on the scene of a mass shooting in Monterey Park, California, the United States, Jan. 22, 2023IANS

Efforts to reduce gun violence in the United States include background checks for gun purchases, restrictions on certain types of firearms, and policies aimed at reducing illegal gun trafficking. However, debates over gun control are often contentious and polarizing, with some arguing that such measures infringe on their Second Amendment rights.

Overall, gun violence remains a significant social and health concern in the United States, and finding effective solutions will require a multifaceted approach that takes into account the many different factors that contribute to the problem.