Shooting Spree in California Involves Elementary School

UPDATE: Gunman in California Shooting Spree Stopped by Lockdown Procedures

Tehama County Sheriff says five people are dead, including the gunman, following a shooting spree in California.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Nov 14, 2017

[UPDATE: November 15, 2017, 8:57 a.m.]

The gunman who went on a shooting spree in California on Tuesday that left four dead and at least ten injured was kept from doing worse damage by lockdown procedures, officials said.

The shooting spree began shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday, with police receiving “multiple 911 calls of multiple shooting sites” that included Rancho Tehama Elementary School, said Phil Johnston, an assistant sheriff in Tehama County.

According to Johnston, the gunman rammed the school fence and entered the grounds carrying a semiautomatic rifle and wearing a vest embedded with additional clips. However, he was unable to enter the classrooms because school officials had heard the gunfire and immediately locked down the campus.

The gunman fired dozens of rounds at the school, officials said, shooting out windows and through the walls of classrooms. At least one student was injured with gunfire and others were injured with broken glass.

Because he was unable to get inside the school, the shooter “became frustrated” and “went mobile again” after about six minutes, Johnston said.

The incident “could have been so much worse if it wasn’t for the quick thinking (of) staff at our elementary school,” Johnston said. He said school officials “saved countless lives and children”.

Seven different shooting locations were being treated as separate crime scenes. “It was very clear early on that we had a subject that was randomly picking targets,” Johnston said. He added that “most of the victims in this case appear to be random selections”.

Original story below.

Four people are dead and more are injured following a shooting spree in California that involved up to seven scenes of interest, including an elementary school.

Jeanine Quist, an administrative assistant with the Corning Union Elementary School District, says no one was killed at the Rancho Tehama Elementary School on Monday morning but a "number" of students were shot and wounded.

At least three children and one adult were transported to Enloe Medical Center, in Chico, California, the hospital confirmed to KHSL. Three people were transported by ground and one by helicopter.

According to the Tehama County Sherriff Phil Johnston, reports of gunshots came in just before 7:52 a.m. at a residential area on Bobcat Lane. It is believed that the gunman shot and killed at least one neighbor before stealing a truck and driving through town.

While information about what the gunman did on the drive is scarce, it is known that he randomly targeted a female and child in a car. Both are getting treatment at a nearby hospital.

Johnston said that the gunman was killed by a member of law enforcement and proper protocols for an officer-involved shooting had been initiated. On the suspect they found a semi-automatic rifle and two handguns.

About 100 law enforcement personnel responded to the scene and are currently working at least seven crime scenes in the area.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • The Evolution of IP Camera Intelligence

    As the 30th anniversary of the IP camera approaches in 2026, it is worth reflecting on how far we have come. The first network camera, launched in 1996, delivered one frame every 17 seconds—not impressive by today’s standards, but groundbreaking at the time. It did something that no analog system could: transmit video over a standard IP network. Read Now

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.