of frantic teenagers fleeing Dawson College were shown continuously on major media outlets as reporters and experts try to figure out the developments of the event and the reasons behind it.

A gunman with a Mohawk and black clothing walked into the building of Dawson College and opened fire randomly on students during lunchtime.

In the latest development, a young woman in her twenties has died in a hospital from her wounds. Eight victims from the school were still in critical condition, with six in need of surgery, Montreal General Hospital officials said.

The victims are all young students in their early twenties, Dr. Francoise Chagnon, director of professional services, told reporters. "And we have a mixture of men and women."

The suspected gunman, a 25-year-old man who was also killed in the event, was born in Quebec and lived in the Montreal area, police said.

An autopsy will be performed on him as soon as possible, and as more information about his history emerges, a possible motive would emerge, police added.

Several leaders have commented on the stunning event with Prime Minister Stephen Harper calling it "cowardly" and a "senseless act of violence."

"On behalf of the government of Canada and all Canadians, our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and their loved ones, and to the students and staff of the college who are all victims of this terrible tragedy," said Harper in a statement.

Interim leader of federal opposition Liberal Party Bill Graham said he was shocked and saddened by the shooting.

"We must unite as a country to show our compassion for those whose lives have been dramatically altered by this inexplicable event," he said in a statement.

Graham's remarks were echoed by Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay, who said, "This is so tragic. How do we talk to the parents who are going through this? All I can say is that I feel for them, and I care for them."

The incident is terribly reminiscent of another school shooting in Montreal.

On Dec. 6, 1989, a 25-year-old man shot 27 female engineering students at the Ecole Polytechnique, killing 14, before fatally shooting himself.

The mass murder prompted tighter gun laws that included the creation of the National Firearms Registry. It also prompted Parliament to create the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women in 1991, to coincide with the anniversary of the tragedy.

Shock, together with disbelief and fear descended upon Canadian campuses as the news spread.

At McGill University in Montreal, the normally festive atmosphere during the first weeks of the fall semester was suddenly dampened on Wednesday after word of the shooting spread.

"The campus, like, totally died," said a student. "Nobody was doing anything ... "

Other students say the shooting will bring changes to their lives." Normally you don't think that something like that could happen. Normally I feel safe," said a student at Saint Mary's University in Halifax.

"Tomorrow, people will be more alert, a lot of staring, more security...I think tomorrow is going to be quite an experience," said Marco Costa, a student at Concordia University. Enditem