One killed in shooting at US Calif. college

Updated: 2013-06-08 07:24

(Xinhua)

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LOS ANGELES - One person has died and four others were injured on Friday after at least one gunman opened fire at the Santa Monica College in the U.S. state of California.

The four injured, all females, were being treated at the UCLA ( University of California Los Angeles) Medical Center, with two in critical conditions, one in serious condition and one listed in good condition, according to the hospital.

A witness says there appears to be a body on the southern end of the Santa Monica College campus. It's unclear if the person, a man dressed in black, was a suspect in the shooting or a victim.

A campus employee told local media that two gunshots were initially heard, followed by what sounded like dozens of additional shots near the campus bookstore.

A student of Santa Monica College said that he heard 15 or 20 more shots near the bookstore. Another student said that he believed there were two shooters on the campus, one dressed in black.

Santa Monica College and neighboring schools were put on lockdown after the shooting.

A 911 call was received around noon about a man with one or more guns and firing south of the college, a local media reported, quoting California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Vince Ramirez.

Ramirez said one person had been taken into custody, but police were continuing to search the campus to determine if anyone else was involved in the shooting incident.

The shooting occurred just miles from the scene of a Democratic National Committee fundraiser attended by U.S. President Barack Obama, but the shooting was not believed to be impacting the event.

Obama's travel route back to LAX Los Angeles International Airport following his Santa Monica fundraiser has been altered due to the incident. Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the president will go directly from the fundraiser to LAX, instead of returning to the Marine One helicopter at Santa Monica Airport.

Police are investigating a possible link between the shootings at Santa Monica College and a fire in a nearby home. Two bodies were found inside the burning home. A witness told local TV that he heard "a few gunshots" at the home before the fire broke out.

Another CHP officer told local TV KCAL9 that the agency originally received reports about a suspect opening fire on a Santa Monica Big Blue Bus in the area. It was unclear if anyone was injured in that shooting. A witness told the station he saw a gunman jump out of a vehicle near the campus and fire random shots before jumping back in the vehicle and driving away.

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