California High School Shooting: Two Confirmed Dead, Three Wounded, Shooter In Critical Condition

Two students are confirmed dead and several others wounded in a Thursday morning shooting in at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California.

The deaths were confirmed during a noon press conference by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Alex Villanueva said a 14-year-old male and 16-year-old female died from wounds sustained in the shooting. Three others were wounded and were being treated in local hospitals.

“I hate to have Saugus be added to the names of Columbine, Parkland, Sandy Hook, but it's a reality that affects us all throughout the nation,” Villanueva said during the press conference.

The suspect was confirmed to be a 16-year-old Asian student who attended the school. An empty, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol was found on the scene and investigators filed for a search warrant for the suspect’s home.

Villanueva said the suspect shot himself in the head and was in “grave” condition. Sources for Los Angeles NBC-affiliate, KNBC, reported he had died but authorities did not immediately confirm the report.

Police responded to the shooting around 7:30 a.m. after receiving reports of an active shooter situation at the high school. Authorities found six people wounded on the scene and rushed them to nearby hospitals before starting an intensive search for the suspect. It was later discovered one of the six wounded was the suspected shooter.