A man with a semi-automatic rifle killed at least four people and wounded several others as he carried out a deadly rampage across several blocks of the normally idyllic beachfront city of Santa Monica in California. Police shot him dead in a college library.

The violence Friday began when the gunman, dressed in all black and wearing what appeared to be a ballistic jacket, opened fire on a house where two bodies were found, Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said.

The latest installment of the blockbuster Call of Duty videogame franchise went on sale Tuesday with publisher Activision saying pre-orders had topped last year's record-shattering "Call of Duty: Black Ops".

"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" hit stores at midnight with thousands of fans lining up to be the first to get their hands on the game, the eighth title in a franchise that has won a devoted following since it was launched in 2003.