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Gardena High Student Gunman Surrenders
The student gunman who reportedly shot three students at Gardena High a few hours ago and forced a school-wide lockdown, has surrendered to police, according to LA Now.
Though the gunman was believed to have fled the scene on foot, police found him holed up in a classroom where he spoke with police for quite some time before surrendering. TV footage showed students running out of the area to safety.
Police handcuffed the student, dressed in all black, and escorted him out of the building. He allegedly removed a gun from his backpack when the gun "went off" and it is believed a single bullet hit several students. Police are trying to determine if the gun went off accidentally or if the student targeted his classmates.
Students are being moved to a "secure" location on the high school campus and the entire facility remains on lockdown. The condition of those shot in the incident remains unknown, though one is reported to have been shot in the head and another has been shot in the neck.
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12:53 P.M. UPDATE: LA Now is reporting that a school district official said a gun in the student's backback "accidentally discharged" about 10:40 a.m when a 10th grade boy either dropped or bumped the backpack that contained the gun. One girl was shot in the head and is in critical condition at the hospital. One boy was shot in the shoulder.
2:24 P.M. UPDATE: LAUSD has issued a statement on the shooting stating that "a Gardena High School student who is believed to be in the 10th grade, entered a classroom and placed his backpack on a desk. Preliminary information indicates that inside the backpack was a loaded weapon that appears to have accidentally discharged, injuring two students. A 15-year-old female student received a gunshot wound to the head. A 15-year-old male student received a gunshot wound to the neck. Both have been transported to a local area hospital for treatment." School was dismissed at 2 p.m. today and LAUSD crisis team members will be on campus today and tomorrow to provide support and assistance to students, school administrators, teachers and staff.
3:57 P.M. UPDATE: The student held for the "acccidental" shooting of two students had brought a gun to school "a couple times" before after having been in a fight outside of school that made him fear for his safety, according to LA Now. When the gun went off in his backpack and struck two students, he apologized before running out of the classroom. Investigators are looking into how a student could so easily enter the school with a gun.
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This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
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