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Police: Southern California High School Gunman Dies in Hospital

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David Hegg, the senior pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita, CA, appeared on the Friday afternoon edition of CBN's Newswatch to talk about how the community is responding to Thursday's school shooting. Newswatch is seen weekdays on the CBN News Channel. For a programming guide, click here.

Police say the alleged 16-year-old gunman who killed two students and injured three others as well as himself planned the attack.

The Los Angeles County sheriff says law enforcement officials believe the mass shooting was planned by the way the teen used the weapon and counted his rounds.

Investigators are still working at the scene of the deadly school shooting in Southern California. They've also been gathering evidence at the suspect's home.

Schools are closed Friday in Santa Clarita as the community mourns the loss of the two students.
 
Investigators are trying to determine exactly why a student allegedly began his 16th birthday by shooting five classmates and himself at Saugus High School.

The teen reportedly pulled a .45 semi-automatic pistol from his backpack, and authorities say he fired methodically but randomly. 

They believe those he shot were just fellow students, and he did not have a relationship with them beyond that.

The shooting spree lasted only 16 seconds, but investigators say he killed a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl and injured others.

One of the survivors escaped into teacher Kaitlin Holt's choir room as she used a piano to barricade the door.
 
"I should've never had to treat a gunshot wound as a choir teacher," Holt said. "And there's something really wrong, and something has to change because I held a bleeding child today in a room with 40 sobbing children."
 
Students and parents shared what they experienced. 

"I just heard like four shots, and it seemed like kind of far away, so I didn't know if it was real or not, and then like he came running in, and it really hit me," student Natalie Lynn explained.
 
"My daughter texted me saying, 'I love you Mom; I hope I get to see you again,'" a parent shared, overcome with emotion. "So yeah, it was heartbreaking."
 
Authorities say one of the injured students has been released from the hospital, and two others are recovering.

Investigators say the gunman used his last bullet on himself, firing it into his head. He died Friday afternoon with his mother was present, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

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About The Author

Mark
Martin

Mark Martin currently serves as a reporter and anchor at CBN News, reporting on all kinds of issues, from military matters to alternative fuels. Mark has reported internationally in the Middle East. He traveled to Bahrain and covered stories on the aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Mark also anchors CBN News Midday on the CBN Newschannel and fills in on the anchor desk for CBN News' Newswatch and The 700 Club. Prior to CBN News, Mark worked at KFSM-TV, the CBS affiliate in Fort Smith, Arkansas. There he served as a weekend morning producer, before being promoted to general