Witnesses praised the efforts of several bystanders who subdued a a gunman who fired on a elementary school playground in Carlsbad, Calif., slightly wounding two children.

The witnesses also said the unidentified suspect was ranting about President Obama when he opened fire at Kelly Elementary School.

[Updated at 11:20 p.m.: Authorities late Friday discredited initial reports that the gunman ranted about Obama during shooting. They identified the alleged gunman as Brendan L. O’Rourke, 41.



O'Rourke was booked on six counts of attempted murder and numerous weapons violations, police said. He is being held at the San Diego County jail in Vista.]

The injured girls, both second-graders, suffered graze wounds to the arm, possibly from shrapnel, authorities said. They were airlifted to Rady Children’s Hospital in nearby San Diego. Witnesses said they did not appear to be seriously injured as they were taken to the aircraft and that one of them waved to onlookers.

Ed Willins, an eyewitness to the shooting, said he saw construction workers tackle the gunman. "They were on him immediately," he said. "They administered a little street justice on him before the cops got there."