San Bernardino, California Police confirmed they responded to a shooting as social media Monday exploded wondering what happened at North Park Elementary School. The shooting at the school occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. local time. The San Bernardino County Fire Department said on Twitter they were treating "multiple victims" at the scene. SBPD Chief Jarrod Burguan tweeted that preliminary information indicated four victims, saying two students were taken to the hospital. A spokeswoman for the school confirmed to the The Associated Press that one of the four victims was a teacher at the school.
The department also tweeted that a second alarm had triggered for a "MCI" at North Park Elementary School, which stands for "mass casualty incident." The fire department also tweeted that it sent six medical engines, one medical truck, and "multiple" ambulances to the scene. Maria Garcia, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Unified School District, told KTLA News that the two students, whose ages are still unknown, were transported to a local trauma center via MediVac helicopter.
Burguan tweeted, "We believe this to be a murder suicide. Happened in a class room" and that two adult victims died at the scene, thus bringing the total number of victims at North Part Elementary School to two adults dead, two students wounded. Tweets were a mix of frantic reports about the scene and calls for "prayers" as yet another school shooting struck the U.S.
Regarding the suspect, Burguan tweeted that he or she is "possibly down as well." Garcia told KTLA News it was not known how the suspect gained access to the elementary school, as North Park has a single entry point during the school day. “Our school campuses are obviously closed campuses during the school day," she said. "The time of 10:28 a.m. would have been well into the school day. We do not know how that suspect gained access into our school.”
Students at North Part Elementary School were being transported to nearby Cajon High School for safety, less than one mile away, according to the school district's website. Parents and guardians must present a photo I.D. to pick up North Park students from the high school.
In 2011, North Part Elementary School enrollment was 715 students, according to the school's website; The Los Angeles Times reported that the school now enrolls about 500 students. Located near California State University's San Bernardino campus, North Park Elementary School serves largely low-income Hispanic and African American children from kindergarten through grade six.
