WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (KUNA) -- A teenager opened fire on fellow students at a high school in California on Thursday, killing two and injuring four, including himself, authorities said.
The unidentified gunman, a student at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, was described as a 16-year-old Asian male.
He shot dead a female student, 16, and a male, 14, before shooting others and himself, all of whom are being hospitalised in grave condition, police said.
Capt Kent Wegener from the Los Angeles Sheriff Department said the shooter, based on witness and surveillance camera evidence, used a semi-automatic pistol.
This is the seventh reported shooting at a US school this year alone, according to the Washington Post, as the debate rages on over gun laws in a country that regards the possession of firearms a constitutional right.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intends to hand out "resources" for schools and communities, enabling them to be prepared and respond to these threats in the future.
The move will be conducted in coordination with the Departments of Education, Justice, and Health and Human Services, read a DHS statement.
Acting Secretary Chad Wolf said "combating targeted violence, including protecting our schools, requires a whole-of-society approach," adding the department was taking the matter "very seriously." (pickup previous) rsr.sd