Chicago, Jan 24 (IANS): A shooting in a southwest Kentucky high school on Tuesday morning has left two students dead and 17 injured, said Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin.

Bevin told a press conference at Marshall County Board of Education that the shooter was a 15-year-old student, who was taken into custody and would be charged with murder and attempted murder.

He urged people to be patient for more details and not to jeopardize the ongoing investigation, reports Xinhua.

"Fourteen people were wounded, two of them fatally, after a shooter opened fire on Tuesday morning at Marshall County High School," Bevin was quoted as saying.

A female student was shot dead at the scene while another male student died in hospital, said the governor.

Local police have started to search the home of the suspect, trying to find motive for the shooting.

In a statement the governor issued earlier, he said "this is a tremendous tragedy and speaks to the heartbreak present in our communities. It is unbelievable that his would happen in a small, close-knit community like Marshall County."

Police responded to the shooting around 8:00 a.m. local time and the scene was secured. The suspect was arrested without resistance.