Washington, Nov 30 (DPA) A gun-toting student held 18 fellow students and a teacher hostage at a high school in Wisconsin Monday night, after releasing five hostages, broadcaster CNN reported quoting police.

The young male took over a classroom at Marinette High School as the school day drew to a close and was communicating with police through a teacher.

Police said there was no clarity yet on why he took the hostages. They said he was a student at the same school, but wouldn’t name him.

Officials said they believed he was armed with one handgun and was acting alone.