Members of the shocked community of Marysville, in Washington state, turned out for a prayer service after a student shot a schoolgirl dead before turning the gun on himself.

Jaylen Fryberg, 15, entered the canteen at Marysville-Pilchuck school on Friday and opened fire at 10.39 local time. He shot himself dead a few minutes later.

Two boys and two girls were injured in the attack and remain in a critical condition at Providence Regional Medical Centre, Everett. The boys were named as Fryberg's cousins, Andrew Fryberg, 15, and Nate Hatch, 14.

It is believed that the shooting was over a girl and there have been reports that the victim was a love interest who had rejected him.

Around a hundred people came to Grove Church on Friday night to pray and light candles in the wake of the shooting that has shocked the community.

Jaylen was a popular high school football player and only last week was elected homecoming prince. He was described as a keen hunter and a picture posted to his Instagram page showed him posing with a 17HMR gun gifted to him by his parents, although this is not the weapon used in the shooting.

According to CNN, he was also a proud Native American, belonging to the Tulalip tribe.

Classmate Jordan Luton told the network that Fryberg got into a fight with someone a few weeks ago over a "racist" comment, but that the killing was still something "nobody would have expected" from him.

Fellow student Rachel Heichel has been left equally shocked by the events of Friday, describing him as someone who was "just a really nice kid and all-around good person".

She was in the canteen at the time of the shooting.

"When I saw him, I was like, 'Oh my God, that's Jaylen,'" she said. "I would have never expected it would have been him, out of all people.

"It was really heartbreaking for me to see that."

Speaking to reporters last night, Police Commander Robb Lamoureux refused to comment on the motive.