CONYERS, Ga. (AP) -- The teen-age gunman who wounded six classmates when he allegedly opened fire at a Georgia high school had access to more firepower at home, but chose not to use it, authorities said. That decision -- coupled with 15-year-old Thomas Solomon Jr.'s apparent effort to aim low during his shooting spree Thursday -- suggests to some that he was trying to avoid killing his Heritage High School classmates. ``He was just trying to be heard and not trying to kill anybody,'' fellow student Kent Cason said Friday. ``He had his chance and he didn't take it.'' Prosecutors, who intend to try Solomon as an adult, have charged him with 19 felonies, including aggravated assault, illegal weapons possession and cruelty to children. The attack left six students wounded, none critically, exactly one month after 15 people died in the high school shooting rampage in Littleton, Colo. If Solomon really sought to leave a trail of bodies behind, he could have stolen more powerful weapons from his stepfather's locked cabinet at their suburban Atlanta home, according to Sheriff Jeff Wigington. As it turned out, he chose only a .357 Magnum revolver and a sawed-off rifle, which he hid in the legs of his baggy jeans ``There was a lot more firepower available to him,'' Wigington said. Solomon also apparently aimed low -- all of the victims' wounds were below the waist, officials said. In addition, Cason, a 19-year-old senior, said Solomon seemed to show a sense of a conscience just prior to the shootings -- warning two students to stay away from the school building where he attacked. ``He told them to stay there so they wouldn't get hurt, and then walked into the building,'' Cason said. Experts said the suspect -- described as a quiet, typical teen who grew sullen after his girlfriend recently dumped him -- was making a desperate cry for attention. ``Certainly he had the option and the weapon to do more damage, and in not doing that, what he was doing was a way of getting attention,'' said Richard Gelles, professor of child welfare and family violence at the University of Pennsylvania. ``He knew he would get it.'' Meanwhile, former acquaintances in Kernersville, N.C., where Solomon's family lived for three years until moving to Georgia in 1997, recalled how he liked to show off his stepfather's guns and sometimes talked about bringing one to school. Bryant Morrison, who attended Atkins Middle School with Solomon, said Solomon became fascinated with weapons after an armed man tried to steal a minivan from the driveway of the family's home three years ago. At the time, Solomon also had his own gun, which he kept in a dresser drawer, his friends said. He told people that it was a birthday present from his stepfather, said Mike Karriker, 17, who lives near Solomon's former home. At a closed meeting of parents and students held at a church Friday, Solomon's distraught ex-girlfriend, 15-year-old Cara Ward, broke down in tears. ``She said 'I want you to know I was not involved,''' said Jenny Stephens, a freshman who is an acquaintance of Miss Ward. ``Then she said she couldn't do this anymore and she ran off.'' Those on hand for the meeting -- scheduled by Rockdale County school administrators to provide information and hear feedback from students and their parents -- said Miss Ward returned about 25 minutes later and was consoled by friends. ``She doesn't want anyone to think she's the cause of all of this,'' Miss Stephens said. Students returned today to the school for the first time since the shooting to pick up their book bags and other belongings. When classes resume Monday, school officials said those students satisfied with their grades will be excused from taking final exams. ``I think we're just all trying to get our lives back,'' said senior Brian Skelton, 18. -=-=- 