Saugus High School shooting in Santa Clarita, California: what we know

As of Friday morning, this article is no longer being updated. For continuing coverage on gun violence, check out Vox’s gun violence section.

A shooter at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California, on Thursday killed two students and injured three others, officials confirmed. The gunman then shot himself in the head.

The suspect is a 16-year-old male student. He’s in custody, but in “grave condition,” local officials said.

This story is still developing. Here’s what we know, and don’t, so far.

What we know

• Around 7:38 am local time, police received 911 calls about a shooting at Saugus High School in the city of Santa Clarita, California, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at a press conference. Sheriff’s deputies quickly responded to the scene.
• The shooter killed at least two people — a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy — and injured three others, officials said. The victims are all students of the high school.
• The suspect is a 16-year-old student, whose birthday was Thursday. The shooter was identified as Nathaniel Berhow, according to CNN.
• The weapon the shooter used, a handgun, was recovered at the scene.
• The suspect shot himself. He is in custody, but in “grave condition,” officials said at a press conference.
• Police are still investigating the shooting, interviewing students as well as the suspect’s mother and girlfriend. School cameras reportedly recorded much of the shooting.

Christina Animashaun/Vox

• All schools in the William S. Hart school district were locked down in response. The lockdowns were lifted a couple hours later.
• Around 2,500 students attend Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California, which is about 30 miles north of Los Angeles.
• Prior to Thursday, there were 84 shootings on school grounds in 2019, according to Everytown, a gun control advocacy group.

What we don’t know

• The shooter’s motive
• The identities of the victims

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