Shooting at California’s Saugus High School Leaves Two Dead, Multiple Injured
Click here to read the full article.
Two teenagers died and three others were injured after a shooter opened fire on Thursday morning at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, about 40 miles north of Los Angeles.
The shooter, a 16-year-old student, pulled a handgun from his backpack and opened fire on five other students on the school’s quad around 7:30 a.m., said Sheriff’s Capt. Kent Wegener. The suspect then shot himself in the head. He was listed in grave condition at a local hospital, according to Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
More from Variety
A 16-year-old girl died at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia at 9:23 a.m. Villanueva said that a second student, a 14-year-old boy, also died at the hospital. The three other victims were also taken to local hospitals, including a 14-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl, and a 14-year-old girl. Villanueva said that those three students are not in critical condition.
Multiple news outlets, including CBS News and the Los Angeles Times, identified the shooter as Nathaniel Berhow. Authorities said that Thursday is his 16th birthday. According to an online obituary, Berhow’s father died two years ago.
Deputies were able to confirm the details of the shooting from witness accounts and the school’s surveillance video.
Villaneuva said the gun was a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol. Tim Murakami, the undersheriff, posted that the department is investigating rumors that the suspect made threats on social media. The motive for the shooting was unclear.
Deputies searched the suspect’s home and locked down the street that he lived on, in the 22900 block of Sycamore Creek Drive.
Dispatchers received several 911 calls around 7:38 a.m. Schools in the area were put on lockdown as deputies scoured the neighborhood. People who live in the area were advised to lock their doors and stay inside.
The Sheriff’s Department initially described the suspect as an Asian male wearing dark clothing.
Parents were reunited with their children at Central Park, on Bouquet Canyon Road. Deputies interviewed each student before they are released to their parents.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
