San Francisco, Oct 28 (IANS/EFE): The high school student who shot dead two of his schoolmates and wounded three others last week at a school in Washington state had invited them to join him in the school lunchroom where the shooting took place, according to officials.

The Snohomish county police said Monday that the shooter sent text messages from his mobile phone to five students at Pilchuk secondary school to meet him at the school cafeteria.

Once the teens were seated at a table for lunch, Jaylen Fryberg took out a Beretta 40 pistol and opened fire before shooting himself.

Snohomish county Sheriff Ty Trenary said the weapon was purchased legally and was registered in the name of a relative of Fryberg's.

Two 14-year-old girls died, while the three wounded students remain hospitalised. Two of the wounded were cousins of the shooter. Several students from the school and some of Fryberg's family members have indicated on social networking sites that the teen was upset over a romantic relationship.

"It won't last. It'll never last" and "I should have listened. You were right. The whole time you were right," were the last messages written by Fryberg on his Twitter account before he went on to shoot himself and his companions.

Fryberg belonged to the Tulalip Native American tribe, and was described by his schoolmates as a popular person who was a member of his school's American football team.

He had also been named "prince" at a school dance.