Sauk County Sheriff Randy Stammen said a custodian saw the student enter Weston School with a shot gun. The custodian, along with other teachers and students, wrestled the student and took away the shotgun. But the student broke free and entered a main corridor, where he was approached by Principal John Klang, Stammen said.

The student then took out a handgun and shot Klang three times. No one else was injured, authorities said. The student was taken into custody and held at the county sheriff's department, Stammen said.

Klang was in critical condition, a spokeswoman at an area hospital said. A spokeswoman for UW Hospitals in Madison said he was being taken there by helicopter.

Stammen said they did not know the student's motive and did not know if Klang was the intended target.

Middle and elementary students were sent home while high school students were taken to a gymnasium, where they met with crisis counselors, superintendent Terry Milfred said.

"It truly is a shock. It's an extremely unfortunate situation," Stammen said. "Our hopes and prayers go out to the principal. We hope he recovers."

Cazenovia is a community of about 300 people about 60 miles northwest of Madison. Weston School is about three miles south of town and has students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Melissa Nigh, the school's dean of students, said the small, rural school has no metal detectors.

"I don't think there was any way of predicting this," Nigh said. "I really don't."

The shooting happened as the school was preparing for homecoming weekend. Nigh said all homecoming activities, including a parade, a football game and dance, have been canceled.

Junior Timmy Donovan saw the student walk into the school with a shotgun.

"The janitor grabbed it away from him," Donovan said. "And as he was walking away he pulled a .22 pistol out of his pants, and then started shooting the principal. And at that point, I guess the principal ran and tackled him to the ground, and then he had other teachers going over and helping him."

Sophomore Shelly Rupp said she heard a total of five shots and ran out of the school. She said she turned around and saw Klang as he was shot.

"He was laying on the ground in the hallway," she said. "He had just a pile of blood by his leg.

The 16-year-old described the shooter as a freshman with few friends.

"He was a little weird," Rupp said. "He always used to kid around about bringing things to school and hurting kids."

After the shooting, she went to a nearby gas station, where other students and townspeople had gathered. Rupp described Klang as a good principal and who listened to students.

"He never raised his voice or anything to any of the students," Rupp said.

Resident Laurie Rhea, 42, said Klang had spent last weekend at the gas station washing cars for a homecoming fundraiser.

"It's horrible. All the kids just loved him," she said.

Norma Hanko, 81, said Klang and his wife were very good friends of hers.

"I feel very terrible. I have been praying ever since I heard about it," she said. "He is a very good person. First he went to teaching and then farmed for a long time and then he went back to teaching."

She described Klang as a friendly man who liked to hunt and fish.

A gunman took six students hostage in a Colorado high school Wednesday and killed one before shooting himself.

Go to http://www.madison.com/wsj/forums to give us your thoughts for tomorrow's editorial on the school shooting.

For more coverage see tomorrow's State Journal.