An apparent murder-suicide inside an elementary school classroom in San Bernardino left a teacher and the shooter dead and two students critically wounded, police said.
Police do not believe the children were targeted but were close to the female teacher at North Park School when the suspect came to the classroom to visit and then opened fire with a handgun, police Capt. Ron Maass said at a news conference.
"There was no indication the gun was visible upon his arrival at the school," Maass said.
The students were taken to a hospital after what was believed to be a domestic dispute, San Bernardino City Unified School District spokeswoman Maria Garcia told news station KNBC-TV.
Police would not confirm the adults' relationship or if it was a domestic dispute.
"We believe the teacher knew who the shooter was," Garcia said, adding that all other students were safe.
Students gathered on a field and a blacktop basketball court inside the fenced-in grounds of the campus near a line of school buses. The school has about 600 students in kindergarten through sixth grades.
Frantic parents running up a sidewalk looking for information about their children were not able to learn immediately what happened.
Several parents interviewed on TV said their children were too young to carry mobile phones, so they had not been able to contact them to see if they were safe.
Marina Ramos told news station KABC-TV that she rushed to the school to try to pick up her grandson after she heard about the shooting. She said she spoke to him, and he told her he was safe but was upset.
"He was crying. He's scared," she said. "It was a typical morning and then chaos broke out."
Students were being taken to local college campus, Garcia said. Police told parents to go to a nearby high school to pick up their kids, but it's not clear when the students would get there.
The city of 216,000 was the site of the December 2015 terror attack that killed 14 people and wounded 22 others at a meeting of San Bernardino County employees. Husband-and-wife shooters Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik were killed in a gunbattle with authorities later that day.
The city is known for its high rates of violent crime, especially homicides, and has struggled to emerge from bankruptcy.
Police do not believe the children were targeted but were close to the female teacher at North Park School when the suspect came to the classroom to visit and then opened fire with a handgun, police Capt. Ron Maass said at a news conference.
"There was no indication the gun was visible upon his arrival at the school," Maass said.
Also Read
Police would not confirm the adults' relationship or if it was a domestic dispute.
"We believe the teacher knew who the shooter was," Garcia said, adding that all other students were safe.
Students gathered on a field and a blacktop basketball court inside the fenced-in grounds of the campus near a line of school buses. The school has about 600 students in kindergarten through sixth grades.
Frantic parents running up a sidewalk looking for information about their children were not able to learn immediately what happened.
Several parents interviewed on TV said their children were too young to carry mobile phones, so they had not been able to contact them to see if they were safe.
Marina Ramos told news station KABC-TV that she rushed to the school to try to pick up her grandson after she heard about the shooting. She said she spoke to him, and he told her he was safe but was upset.
"He was crying. He's scared," she said. "It was a typical morning and then chaos broke out."
Students were being taken to local college campus, Garcia said. Police told parents to go to a nearby high school to pick up their kids, but it's not clear when the students would get there.
The city of 216,000 was the site of the December 2015 terror attack that killed 14 people and wounded 22 others at a meeting of San Bernardino County employees. Husband-and-wife shooters Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik were killed in a gunbattle with authorities later that day.
The city is known for its high rates of violent crime, especially homicides, and has struggled to emerge from bankruptcy.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
SAVE 25%
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Subscribe
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
SAVE 25%