Charles Carl Roberts, whom police identified as the gunman who killed three schoolgirls in the US.
Last Update: Tuesday, October 3, 2006. 9:10pm (AEST)

Fifth girl dead after Amish school shooting

A seven-year-old victim of a shooting at an Amish school in the United States has died from injuries, bringing the toll to five victims dead and six wounded.

Sean Young, a spokesman for Penn State Hershey Medical Centre in Hershey, Pennsylvania, says the girl, whose age was previously given as eight, passed away at about 4:30am local time just after being removed from life support.

"I believe it was a gunshot wound to the head," he said, when asked what injuries she had sustained.

A heavily armed gunman barricaded himself in an Amish schoolhouse on Monday, dismissing boys and adults on the premises before lining up 11 girls against the blackboard and shooting them "execution style", police said.

Three girls died at the scene, police said.

Lancaster General Hospital spokeswoman Kim Hatch said a fourth girl died in hospital later.

Police say a man with a 20-year grudge is responsible for the shooting at an Amish school in the US state of Pennsylvania.

Four young girls were killed and eight others aged between six and 13 remain in a critical condition in hospital.

Police say the gunman was 32-year-old Charles Carl Roberts, who left a suicide note in which he referred to an event 20 years ago for which he sought revenge.

The gunman killed himself after shooting the girls in the head.