Shooting at California high school, two dead
November 14, 2019
Two students were killed and several others were wounded in the US state of California on Thursday when a shooter opened fire at Saugus High School in the city of Santa Clarita.
Six students were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds — including the suspect, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said at a press conference.
One 16-year-old female student and a 14-year-old male student later died of their injuries.
"At this point, we have no indication of any motive or ideology," FBI Agent Paul Delacourt told reporters.
The others who were wounded include two girls, aged 14 and 15, as well as a 14-year-old boy.
Suspected shooter in hospital
Police responded to calls of a shooting at the school shortly after 7:30 a.m. local time (1530 GMT), when they saw the victims in a courtyard of the school.
The suspected gunman was identified as a 16-year-old male student at the school who used a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol that was stashed in his backpack. There were no more bullets left in the gun when it was recovered.
After firing on his fellow students, the shooter then turned the gun on himself, police said after reviewing video from the scene. The 16-year-old was said to be in "grave condition."
Massive police response
Emergency vehicles swarmed the high school, which is located northwest of Los Angeles. Video footage of the scene showed several people being loaded onto ambulance gurneys.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department had urged people to avoid the area, while several other schools were locked down as a precaution.
Around 2,300 students attend Saugus High School, which consists of more than a dozen buildings.
US President Donald Trump is "monitoring the ongoing reports," a White House spokesman said.
rs/msh (AP, Reuters, dpa)