Emergency vehicles are parked outside the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. Photo: AP Photo/Morry Gash

Police had briefly mentioned a higher death toll but later revised the information.

The suspect, a teenage student at the school, is also dead, police said. The suspect used a handgun, police said.

A motive is not clear, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said at a news conference.

Of the six injured students, two are in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, Barnes said. Four other students suffered non-life-threatening injuries, he said.

Officers responded to the active shooter report around 10:57 a.m. The suspect was dead upon police arrival and no officers fired their weapons, Barnes said.

The shooting was "confined to one space," but it's not clear if it was a classroom or hallway, the chief said.

"I never saw so many police cars in my life -- just blue and red lights lining the school, lining the streets. Fire department, paramedics, everyone was there," swarming the usually quiet neighborhood, John Diaz de Leon told ABC News Live.

He said he saw officers with long guns at the scene and older students run from the school across the parking lot.

"Later on, very slowly in a more orderly fashion, the younger students holding hands were let out to go across the parking lot," he said.

The school has been cleared, Barnes said.

Officials are working to reunite students with their parents. About 390 students from kindergarten through 12th grade attend the school.

The police chief said he began his career as a teacher.

"We owe it to our community to do everything possible to ensure [schools are] not only a special place, but a safe place," he said.

"I hoped that this day would never come in Madison," Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said.

She stressed the need for gun violence prevention and said she wants the community and country to make sure "no public official ever has to stand in this position again."

Jill Underly, Wisconsin's superintendent of public instruction, stressed the need for change, saying in a statement, "This tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to protect our children and our educators to ensure that such horrors never happen again. We will not rest until we find solutions that make our schools safe."

"The time for change is long past," Underly said.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., wrote on social media, "My sincere condolences and prayers for all the victims of the tragedy at Abundant Life Christian School. I will continue to closely monitor the situation."

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers wrote, "I am closely monitoring the incident at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison. We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond."

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., tweeted, "I have been briefed on the active shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison and my heart goes out to all those impacted. My office is in touch with local and state officials, and I stand ready to assist law enforcement and anyone affected."

President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting, according to the White House.

There have been 112 school shootings were at least 1 victim was injured or killed so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

There have been 487 mass shootings in 2024 as of December 16, including this latest one in Wisconsin. This time last year there were 641 mass shootings.

This is Wisconsin's eight mass shooting so far this year and Madison's second mass shooting this year.

The Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as one with four or more people injured or killed - not including the perpetrator - counted 656 Mass Shootings in 2023, 646 in 2022, 689 in 2021 and 610 in 2020.