RED LION, Pa. -- Police said a school principal and student are dead after a shooting at a York County junior high school.

Witnesses said a 14-year-old student allegedly shot the principal of Red Lion Area Junior High School in York County and then turned the gun on himself around 7:30 a.m. Thursday, just before the start of school.

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The principal, Gene Segro, (pictured, left) 51, was taken to York Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Witnesses said the shooter, James Sheets, (pictured, left, below) known as Jimmy, pulled out the gun in the cafeteria. Police said there were 300 to 400 students in the cafeteria at the time.

"All of a sudden we heard a gunshot. Well, first we heard screaming and we looked over and saw the gun and then we heard a gunshot and Dr. Segro was on the floor. And then we started running," eighth-grader Cody Weinrich said.

"It was a gun. It looked like a pistol from where I was standing and it was very loud. It was a very loud pistol. I saw him fire and then I ran out and I heard a second shot and then after that I was too far away to hear it again," eighth-grader Grant Becker said. "There was a lot of screaming, and a lot of people yelling and a lot of people saying to run, and you looked for the exit that was closest to you, and you were going full speed and everyone was just flooding out the exits."

"(I) heard this loud bang and I looked at the principal and he was laying on the ground with his hands on his chest and James was standing there with a gun. Everybody was running out and as I was running, I heard another gunshot and people are saying that he killed himself," eighth-grader Matt Leiphart said.

Police found three handguns on the teen. He had evidently taken them to school in his bookbag. Police said the guns came from his stepfather's gun safe.

Coroner Barry Bloss said Segro was shot once in the chest and Sheets was shot once in the head.

"It's pretty earth shattering. I know Red Lion's system is one of the best as far as other adults getting into the school system. I just can't see that this would ever happen. Unfortunately, I know that there isn't anything to safeguard children bringing things to school," parent Susan Becker said.

Students from the junior high school were taken to the senior high school. Some students were taken to Edgar Moore Elementary School. Students from Edgar Moore, the high school and junior high were sent home at 10 a.m.

Police searched Sheets' house and took boxes and boxes of possible evidence.

The school district held a counseling session for students and parents at 1 p.m. Thursday at 7 p.m., the school district will have an informational meeting at the senior high school.

"Our Crisis Response Committee has been contacted to assist with the situation, as well as our Victim's Advocate Office and the Department of Public Welfare's Office of Mental Health," state Secretary of Education Vicki Phillips said. "This is a sad day, not only for the Red Lion community, but for every school in Pennsylvania."

This is not the first attack at this school district. On Feb. 2, 2001, William Stankewicz entered North Hopewell Winterstown Elementary School with a machete. The attack injured 10 kindergarten students, two teachers and the school principal, whose hands were slashed. Stankewicz was sentenced to spend a minimum of 132 years and a maximum of 264 years in prison.