Editor’s note: This is a developing situation, and the story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Update: The six students taken to the hospital were the shooter and his five victims. of whom two didn’t survive. The shooter was a 16-year-old student who brought a .45 caliber pistol to school on his birthday fire on the quad, hitting five of his fellow students. He then turned the gun on himself.
Schools in the William S. Hart Union High School District are being locked down and authorities are asking the public to stay out of the area. The shooter, described in a tweet from the Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) Sheriff Station as an Asian male in black clothing, has not yet been apprehended. This is, then, an ongoing active shooter situation.
At least five of the six victims were transported to the Henry Mayo Hospital and law enforcement personnel are searching the area for the shooter. The SVC Sheriff Station released a statement saying: “If you live in neighborhoods anywhere near Saugus High, PLEASE LOCK DOORS and stay inside. If you see suspect, male dark clothing, in backyards, etc. CALL 911.” Saugus High School – about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles – was the scene of the shooting.
The suspect has not been identified, but Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said that he is believed to be a Saugus High School student. According to a parent of one student, the shooting occurred around 6.35 a.m. – 20 minutes before the start of school. About 2,400 students attend Saugus High School. Arial footage from news teams on the scene shows students walking in single file out of the school buildings. It is not yet clear whether the shooting happened inside the school or on the grounds.
The White House urges everyone “to follow the advice of local law enforcement and first responders” and says President Trump is aware of the situation.
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