A US police chief has said the gunman who killed four people in a chaotic rampage planned the attack and had 1,300 rounds of ammunition.

A gunman who killed four people in Santa Monica, California, before police shot him dead, acted alone, authorities said today.

Two men have been found dead in a fire-damaged home near the scene of a shooting outside a college in Santa Monica, California, a fire official said.

EVENING is still coming as Tommie Smith sits on a wooden bench and looks over the Santa Monica College track, his young charges heading off for the day while the football team continues to work out.