A frightening shooting in Santa Montica, California today has left Santa Monica college students shaken up by an on/off campus shooting.
Earlier today, a gunman shot and killed at least six people and left many wounded just west of Los Angeles in the Santa Monica area according to Reuters. The gunman was later shot to death by police in the Santa Monica College library, and a second “person of interest” seemly connected to the violence was also taken into custody Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said.
The main campus of the Santa Monica College was put on lock down throughout the series of events, and the several students were present at the shoot out in the library and ran for safety. A bomb squad was also called in after the more students were evacuated.
Of the six deaths, two bodies were discovered at the source of the six incidents tied together by Santa Monica police. It started when gunman tried to break and enter into a house near the school, and then set fire to and shot up another home, even closer to the campus. At least two cars, both obtaining women were shot at later, contributing to one death and several injuries. Numerous witnesses reported that the gunman carjacked and shot at vehicles and a transit bus before arriving on the bus and running onto campus guns blazing.
Though President Barack Obama was in the Santa Monica area for a Democratic luncheon fundraiser, authorities have not made a connection to his presence and the series of incidents with the gunman. He left by motorcade rather than helicopter “to avoid any impact on the ongoing local response to the shooting in the area," the White House press office said.