TWO dead and at least four injured as 'gunmen sets building ablaze and opens fire on random vehicles outside Santa Monica college - just a couple of miles from where Obama is attending fundraiser
Police say a gunman opened fire near Southern California's Santa Monica College and several people have been injured
Two people were found dead Friday in a burned home near the campus of Santa Monica College, where someone sprayed a street corner with gunfire, wounding at least four people, authorities said.
Police and witnesses said the gunfire began adjacent to the campus and about 3 miles from where President Barack Obama was attending a fundraising luncheon, just before noon.
Police said a shooter was in custody and the campus was being searched for a possible second shooter.
Jeff Furrows of the Santa Monica Fire Department said there was extensive fire damage inside the nearby home. A woman also was found with a gunshot wound in a car outside the burned home, he said.
Arrest: Los Angeles Police officers are shown detaining a suspect near a shooting at Santa Monica College Friday June 7, 2013 in Santa Monica, California
Three shooting victims were admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, hospital spokesman Mark Wheeler said. Two were in critical condition and one was in serious condition, said.
Jimes Gillespie, 20, told The Associated Press he was in the college's library studying when he heard the gunfire, and he and dozens of other students began fleeing the three-story building.
'As I was running down the stairs I saw one of the gunmen,' said Gillespie, who described the shooter as a white man in his 20s, wearing cornrows in his hair and black overalls. He said the man was carrying a shotgun.
Gillespie believes there were two shooters because he heard two kinds of gunfire — a shotgun and a handgun — but only saw one person.
'The shotgun blast was first. It was either him or the partner who shot eight to 10 handgun shots,' Gillespie said. 'Then after I saw the gunman I heard more shots and I ran out of the library through the emergency exit.'
As Gillespie ran away across campus, he said he saw a car in front of the English building that was riddled with bullet holes, had shattered windows and a baby's car seat in the back.
An eyewitness told ABC7 camerman Shawn MCarthy that there was indeed a second gunman who opened fire a few blocks to the east of the schools south campus.
The witness said that a man dressed in black emerged from a vehicle and started shooting indiscriminately.
President Barack Obama is in Santa Monica speaking at a luncheon fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee about a 10-minute drive from where the shooting took place
'We are aware of the incident and it is not impacting the president's visit,' U.S. Secret Service spokesman Edwin M. Donovan said. 'It's a local police matter at this point.'
One individual, believed to be the gunman has been shot and has been transported by emergency services to hospital confirm Santa Monica Police.
An SMC student told ABC7 he heard the gunfire.
'I was near the bookstore when I heard 15 or 20 more shots,' he said. 'I stopped and went into the Theater Arts building. ... I'm extremely shaken.'
Santa Monica College student Sam Luster was preparing for a presentation in the school's library when he heard bullet
'We didn't know what was happening until all the students at the entrance of the library started running down towards the bottom of the library,' Luster said to ABC 7
Another Santa Monica student told ABC 7 that the shooting caused panic among hundreds of people on campus.
'One of the doors wasn't opening so alot of **** were panicking against the locked door and funneled around to the other side,' said Chad Lazzari.
The incident began at around noon, with witnesses reporting a 'fully armed' man discharging a firearm at cars in the area, said the California Highway Patrol.
The gunman apparently also set fire to cars and a bus said California Highway Patrol Officer Sgt. Denise Joslin.
Unconfirmed reports are of a number of injuries involving bus passengers said CHP Officer Kerri Rivas.
'We are aware of at least one suspect, there may possibly be others,' Joslin said to NBC Los Angeles.
All other schools in the area are on lock-down, including Roosevelt Elementary and John Adams Elementary schools.
Students at the college have been advised to stay away from the campus, according to the school.
Students on campus are advised to stay in place until the lock-down is lifted.
Santa Monica College is a two-year college with about 34,000 students.
Santa Monica College has witnessed a shooting this afternoon in which multiple injuries have been reported
Sources have told NBC Los Angeles that the shooting is unconnected to President Obama's visit to the area.
The CHP took the first emergency telephone call around 11.55 a.m. that a man with one or more guns was firing south of Santa Monica College campus at 1900 Pico Blvd - according to Santa Monica police.
Students who were taking their final exams on campus had to scramble to safety and one student told KCAL9 there were two shooters seen at the time of the shooting.
Santa Monica College sent out the following statement
'There have been reports of a shooter on the main SMC campus. The college is on lock-down. This means that if you are on campus, stay out of open spaces, stay in doors, lock all doors and do not open the doors until you receive an all clear from college officials. If you are off campus, do Not come to campus.'
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