In a series of violent confrontations Friday, a gunman with a semiautomatic rifle killed four people and wounded at least five others before being shot dead by police inside the Santa Monica College library, police said.

Santa Monica Police Sgt. Richard Lewis said in a news briefing late Friday that a lone gunman carried out the shootings, which resulted in nine crime scenes that spanned several blocks.

'It's a horrific event, and everyone wishes it hadn't happened,' Lewis told the press.

Lewis also confirmed a 'person of interest,' who was taken into custody earlier in the day, 'has been released and is not a suspect.'

One of the dead was shot outside the library of the two-year college, where students were studying for or taking final exams.

The gunman, who was not immediately identified, was described as white or Latino with curly hair and 20 to 30 years old. Witnesses said he was dressed in black, wore body armor and a helmet and brandished a military-style assault rifle, a shotgun, a handgun and an ammunition belt.

He was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police in the library as students dived for cover or ran for safety. Beforehand, students, many wearing headphones, either did not hear or ignored several 'pops.'
The 38-acre main campus remained locked down throughout the afternoon while the bomb squad examined suspiciou.