A gunman opened fire at an elementary school in the California city of San Bernardino yesterday, killing one woman and wounding two students before turning the gun on himself, police said.
The students were airlifted to a local hospital where their conditions were described as critical.
“This does appear to have been a murder-suicide with both male adult and female adult victim succumbing to injuries, with the male succumbing to a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” lieutenant Mike Madden of the San Bernardino Police Department told a news conference.
“We had two students who were tragically injured and are listed as critical at this stage in area hospitals.”
The identities of the victims have not been released but the Los Angeles Times reported that one of the adults involved in the shooting was a teacher, citing the local education authority.
“This is believed to be a case of domestic violence,” the school district said in an e-mail to staff, according to the Times.
Students at North Park Elementary School - which has around 500 students between kindergarten and sixth grade - were transported to a nearby campus, where they were “being well cared for, having snacks, playing games and watching a Disney movie,” the police department tweeted.
“Police operations are continuing to secure the area. However, we do believe the threat is down,” city police chief Jarrod Burguan said.
San Bernardino is located about an hour’s drive east of Los Angeles.