School Shooting in California Leaves 3 Dead, Including the Shooter

Twenty minutes before class begins, a 16-year old boy named Nathaniel Berhow shoots his classmates in a span of only 16 seconds. After which, he also killed himself using the same pistol. Two of the victims died at the hospital while the other three students were taken immediately by an ambulance from Saugus High School in Santa Clarita to the hospital.

According to a report published in CNN News, the suspect used a .45 caliber handgun. The police are now investigating the said incident and are searching as to what led the suspect to kill his fellow classmates. They are now looking into the social media account of Berlow to see if there were threats posted in previous hours or days or any other evidence they could use to help them understand the tragedy.

The mass shooting in Saugus High School only adds to the previous incidents which are very alarming, the US government must address and look into the cause of these shootings, especially since the mass shootings involved students as the perpetrators and victims of the crime.

Meanwhile, Captain Kent Wegener of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told reporters that a security video that caught the incident clearly shows how Berhow shot his five classmates and then himself right after. In addition, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is looking for additional videos, if any, captured by students in the school.

With the panic it created, students fled immediately from the school building, while others hid inside classrooms. Fortunately, students and faculty have undergone training on how to react and take cover if a shooting incident was to occur.

Some students exhibited bravery by sharing their traumatic experience with reporters. One student said that after they heard the gunshots they ran immediately through the fence and went far as they could away from school. No one expected the mass shooting. Brooklyn Moreno, one of the students, said that everyone thought it was just a balloon, but when they heard the second and third shots it was at that time that everyone panicked.

United States Vice President Mike Pence expressed his condolences to the grieving families. Pence said that the incident is very heartbreaking as it involved students. He added that the Trump administration will look into this and will work to end gun violence across the country. VP Pence also stated that President Trump has already given an order to federal officials to assist in the investigation.

Sheriff Tim Murakami posted on his personal twitter account that they are now investigating the possible threats to the victims using the social media account of the suspect based on the rumors they have heard. Mukarami also tweeted that if anyone from Santa Clarita read any forms of threats in social media, they should be informed immediately. In connection with the said incident, all schools in the district of Santa Clarita's William S. Hart were temporarily closed for precautionary measures as the investigations are ongoing.

The two students who were killed in the mass shooting were Gracie Muehlberger, 15, and Dominic Blackwell, 14. In a report from ABC 7, students showed sympathy for Dominic Blackwell who happened to be a member of the Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps. by tying blue and white balloons above a candle at Central Park. The same area they used as a staging area after evacuation. However, several students were immediately fetched by their parents at the park and left the area immediately.