2 dead, 4 wounded after California shooting suspect opened fire at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita
A 16-year-old boy shot five fellow students at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita before turning the handgun on himself, authorities said.
By ABC7.com staff
Updated 6 minutes ago
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (KABC) -- A 16-year-old boy shot five fellow students, killing two, Thursday morning at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita before turning the .45-caliber handgun on himself, authorities said.
The shooter was hospitalized in grave condition.
Paramedics and sheriff's deputies first responded around 7:40 a.m. to the school at 21900 Centurion Way.
Six students, including the gunman, were found in the quad area suffering from gunshot wounds, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at a news conference. All six were transported to hospitals, where two of them, a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, were later pronounced dead.
A seventh person was also transported to a hospital for a medical issue or injury that was not caused directly by the gunfire.
The surviving victims were described as two girls, ages 14 and 15 and a boy, 14. The boy was released from Henry Mayo Hospital.
Mayo hospital said it had received four patients. Their names have not been disclosed.
The sheriff said the deceased girl's parents were at the hospital. He was notified of the second fatality during a press conference at the school.
About two hours later, authorities said to media that a third victim had died. However, they later clarified that was not the case, adding that all surviving victims were in stable condition.
According to sheriff's Capt. Kent Wegener, surveillance video "clearly" shows the suspect pulling a semi-automatic handgun out of his backpack in the quad and shooting five classmates before shooting himself in the head.
Thursday was the gunman's 16th birthday, the captain said. He was listed in grave condition at a hospital, according to Villanueva.
At some time shortly before the shooting, the gunman posted on his Instagram account "Saugus have fun at school tomorrow," Wegener said.
The post was later changed at some point after the shooting, he said. That means someone - possibly a friend of the shooter or a hacker - also has access to the account. Wegener said officials are looking at the Instagram account as part of their investigation.
The first law enforcement officers on the scene were actually three off-duty personnel who were already at the school dropping off their own children, Villanueva said.
The three, a Santa Clarita sheriff's deputy, an Inglewood police officer and a Los Angeles Police Department officer, saw children running away from the scene and they turned around and entered the school to investigate within moments of the shooting.
They found the scene of the shooting inside and, observing the gun at the scene, determined there was no immediate threat. They instantly turned to performing first aid for the victims.
"Their actions definitely saved lives and my hats off to them," Villanueva said.
The school resource deputy was also on the scene moments later, he said.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, authorities released a description of the suspect as a manhunt got underway. Heavily armed deputies and an armored SWAT vehicle were seen at a home near the school. Investigators confirmed the gunman lived at the house, which was being searched for evidence.
The high school remained on lockdown for hours after the incident. Shortly before 11 a.m., lockdowns were lifted at all campuses in the district, as well as Rosedell and Highland elementary schools.
Central Park, at 27150 Bouquet Canyon Road, was being used as a reunification point for parents and students, the Sheriff's Department said.
Undersheriff Tim Murakami tweeted an apology to parents for delaying the release of their children, saying investigators need to interview "every student at Saugus HS" before they can be released.
All Hart District Schools will be closed on Friday, district officials said.
Counselors were being made available to the school community Thursday 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Santa Clarita Activities Center, at 20880 Centre Pointe Parkway, and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church located at 22833 Copper Hill Drive.
In a statement, the White House said President Donald Trump was monitoring ongoing reports about the shooting.
"The White House encourages all those in the area to follow the advice of local law enforcement and first responders," the statement said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted an expression of gratitude to the emergency responders.
"We simply should not have to fear for our kids' lives when we drop them off at school," the governor said. Addressing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Newsom asked: "How many more lives will be lost? How many more shootings will we have to endure? We need commonsense gun reform. NOW."
Amid the chaos at the scene, the number of reported victims fluctuated throughout the morning. The sheriff later confirmed that six people were shot, including the gunman.
