Shots rang out near Woodrow Wilson High School on Thursday afternoon, sending the El Sereno campus into an immediate lockdown, as reported by ABC7. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the gunfire erupted in the parking lot around 3:30 p.m., leading to a significant police response, but fortunately, no victims were found, and the Los Angeles Fire Department later cleared the scene, echoing the LAPD's findings.
Details surrounding the incident, as observed by NBC Los Angeles, indicate that two cars were struck by bullets; these vehicles belonged to staff members and the shots were apparently aimed at a student who managed to evade the gunfire by running into the school, the LAPD and LAUSD police confirmed that the student was being pursued off campus by the suspected gunmen who, after firing the shots, fled the scene with one suspect escaping in a truck the other on foot, complicating the investigation for authorities.
The LAUSD released a statement, acquired by NBC Los Angeles, assuring the public that "The Los Angeles Police Department is leading the investigation" and that to reinforce security, "the Los Angeles School Police Department will have extra patrols in the area tomorrow." In the meantime, students on campus were provided with mental health resources to cope with the traumatic experience.
Witness accounts, such as that of student Selena Gonzalez, brought the reality of the situation to light: "I thought it was just fireworks, but then staff came, you know, rushing us to go to the nearest classroom and stuff like that," Gonzalez told NBC Los Angeles, revealing the fear and confusion experienced by those present. Parents were permitted to reunite with their children after authorities lifted the lockdown, though access to the school's front entrance remained closed off pending further investigation into the shooting, of which the motive remains unknown. LAPD is urging anyone with information to come forward.
