Students Praised After Wednesday Morning School Shooting Incident

The 19-year-old Gunman was Taken Into Custody

DIXON, Ill. (AP) -Authorities say students did exactly as they were trained to do when a school resource officer and a former student exchanged gunfire at a northern Illinois high school.

Officer Mark Dallas shot and injured the 19-year-old gunman at Dixon High School and took him into custody Wednesday morning.

At a news conference a few hours later, officials said they were pleased to discover that students had barricaded themselves into classrooms by blocking doorways with chairs, desks and other furniture.

Police have not said why the former student came to the school armed with a gun on a day when students were rehearsing for their upcoming graduation ceremony.

Lockdown has been lifted at the other schools in the city about 80 miles west of Chicago.