U.S.

California High School Shooting: Updates

Multiple reports suggest that one person has been shot at Taft High School in Taft, California, and that the shooter is in police custody. We're updating this story as news comes in.

By Dashiell Bennett
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Update 3:33 p.m.: Police officials just held their first briefing. Police confirmed the shooter was a 16-year-old student of Taft High. The shooter interrupted his scheduled first period class and shot the victim, also a 16-year-old student who is now in critical but stable condition. The shooter tried to target someone else in the classroom when the teacher and a classroom supervisor initiated a dialogue and were successfully able to talk the shooter into putting his gun down. Both men were unarmed. The teacher had received gun emergency training that morning, according to officials. The shooter was using a .12 gauge shotgun. The officer usually posted to the school was not there today, according to officials, because he could not make it due to the weather.

Update 2:49 p.m.: Parents told KERO TV the person who was shot but refused medical treatment is a teacher. He suffers from minor injuries.

Update 2:20 p.m.: KERO TV reports the shooter and at least one of the victims are allegedly students at Taft High School. Police told the station they believe the shooter's gun in police custody is a shotgun.

Update 1:41 p.m.: The AP and the Wall Street Journal are reporting only one person was shot. Two people were shot, but only one received medical attention. KERO TV reports one victim got airlifted to a nearby hospital while the second victim refused treatment.

Also, Huffington Post's Sam Stein reports Taft High School has a "uniformed deputy sherrif" on duty at all times.

Update 1:30 p.m.: ABC 7 reports police are now going from room-to-room securing the school. We're still waiting to hear whether the two shot were students or staff.

Original story: ABC 7 in Los Angeles is reporting that two people have been shot at Taft High School in Taft, California. According the station, the school has evacuated, but the shooter is in police custody. This is a breaking story and we'll update further as more news comes in. KERO TV in Bakersfield reports that parents have told to pick up their kids at the school's football field. Taft is 40 miles southwest of Bakersfield, and about two hours north of Los Angeles.

News of the shooting broke as Joe Biden was speaking to the media prior to his meeting with sportsmen and other gun rights groups as part of his gun control advisory planning.

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.