6 people injured and 2 students, aged 16 and 14, have been killed by a gunman who opened fire at a secondary school in California.

Earlier, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that officers are responding to an incident at Saugus High School in the city of Santa Clarita, which is located around 40 miles north of Los Angeles.

Initially, 5 people were hurt in the incident.

The shooting happened by 8 am local time.

The spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said, “We’re monitoring the developing situation at Saugus High School with reports of a shooting & multiple people injured. We’re in communications with our law enforcement partners, including @LASDHQ & @LASchoolPolice, although at this time there’s no nexus to the City of Los Angeles.”

We’re monitoring the developing situation at Saugus High School with reports of a shooting & multiple people injured. We’re in communications with our law enforcement partners, including @LASDHQ & @LASchoolPolice, although at this time there’s no nexus to the City of Los Angeles.

— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) November 14, 2019

The shooting was first reported at 7:38 local time on Thursday.

LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the police got to the scene within 2 minutes after the calls were made.

What We Know About The Incident

The shooter was reportedly standing in the school courtyard when he took a .45-calibre semi-automatic pistol from his backpack and opened fire for about 16 seconds before turning the gun on himself.

Sheriff’s Captain Kent Wegener said, “He just fires from where he is. He doesn’t chase anybody. He doesn’t move.”

As part of their active shooter drill, students barricaded themselves in classrooms for nearly an hour.

Investigating officers reportedly found 6 people suffering from gunshot wounds and transferred them to hospitals in the area.

The suspect was later identified, he was also injured.

The names of the 2 students that were killed in the Saugus High School Shooting have not yet been released by the authorities.

Authorities did confirm their age and gender, the victims are 16-year-old and 14-year-old boys.

The 3 injured were not named, but authorities said they were less than 15 years old.

All of the victims attended Saugus High School.

The suspect had no connections with the victims.

Who Carried Out The Attack?

The attack was carried out by a 16-year-old boy on the day of his birthday.

The motive of the attack is still not known.

According to the FBI, the boy acted alone and was not affiliated with any particular terrorist organization or ideology.

Students said the shooter was naturally smart and had a girlfriend.

The shooter was also a boy scout at the school.

Reports suggest that the boy lived locally in a modest home, but had a hard time in the last 2 years, especially after his father’s death.

Investigating officers have searched the house of the boy and have interviewed both the mother and the girlfriend.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the boy was not being bullied at the school.