An 18-year-old student was killed and three other people, including an 11-year-old child, were wounded when gunfire erupted Wednesday evening in the parking lot of Fairfield High School following a graduation ceremony in Northern California, and the shooter remains at large, authorities said.
Police said the shooting broke out at about 7:15 p.m. in the parking lot near Schafer Stadium, where continuation school Sem Yeto High School was holding its graduation on the Fairfield High School campus in Solano County.
Officers and emergency crews responded to multiple 911 calls reporting shots fired as families and students were leaving the event attended by an estimated 1,000 people. One of the four victims, an 18-year-old who had been at the ceremony, was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts, according to CNN.
The other victims were described by authorities as an 11-year-old child and two adults, ages 20 and 25, who were taken to local hospitals for treatment of gunshot wounds. Police have not publicly released their conditions as of Thursday, and officials said they were still working to notify some family members.
Fairfield police said no arrests have been made and no suspect description has been released, but a search is ongoing and detectives are interviewing hundreds of potential witnesses who were in the parking lot when shots were fired.
Officer Michelle Belyea of the Fairfield Police Department told local media that investigators are gathering security video from the school and nearby businesses and urged anyone with cellphone footage to come forward.
Authorities added there is no indication of an ongoing threat to the wider community, but declined to say whether they believe the shooting was targeted, ABC News reported.
Officials said the graduation ceremony had already concluded and people were walking to their cars when the gunfire began, sending attendees running for cover and prompting a large law enforcement response from multiple agencies.
Classes were not in session at Fairfield High at the time, and the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District said counselors would be available for students and staff affected by the violence.
Police have asked anyone with information about the shooting or the suspect to contact Fairfield police or submit tips anonymously through the department's hotline, as per CBS News.
