SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — One person was killed and several others were injured Thursday during a shooting at a Southern California high school and the student gunman was in custody, authorities said.
The shooting occurred around 7:30 a.m. at Saugus High School in the city of Santa Clarita, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital tweeted that one female patient was dead, two males were in critical condition and one male was in good condition.
It was unclear if there were any other injured. Initial reports fluctuated as high as six.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva tweeted that the suspect was in custody and was being treated at a hospital. He said the suspect was a student but gave no further information.
Television images showed deputies swarming the school and several people being moved on gurneys.
Lines of students were escorted from the school by armed deputies.
Saugus High School and other schools in the area were locked down.
White House spokesman Judd Deere said President Donald Trump was monitoring the reports.
Student Sharon Orelana Cordova told KNBC-TV she hid under a table in a nurse’s office until officers came to get her.
“When I got out I saw this person lying on the ground … with blood all over,” she said.
Freshman Rosie Rodriguez was walking up the library stairs when she heard noises that “sounded like balloons” popping. She realized they were gunshots when she saw other students running.
Still carrying a backpack laden with books, she ran across the street to a home, where a person she didn’t know gave shelter to her and about 10 other students.
During the more than hour they were there, students including Rodriguez called their families and texted with friends. Nobody in the house saw what happened directly.
“I just heard a lot of kids crying. We were scared,” Rodriguez said.
On a normal day, Rodriguez said, Saugus High School felt very safe.
“We never really thought this would happen in our school,” she said.
Student Mason Peters told KCAL-TV his class heard a “distinctive sound” outside.
“And so my teacher quickly sprang to his feet, got up, locked the door, asking the students to get the keys,” he said. “And so we like reinforced it, turned off all the lights and then we got a bunch of desks and stuff and reinforced the doors. And we all just like stayed hidden.”
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Antczak reported from Los Angeles.
