San Bernardino School Shooting: Young Special Needs Student, Teacher Among Dead

SAN BERNARDINO, CA –A young special needs student, his teacher and the teacher's husband have died in a school shooting in an elementary school classroom in San Bernardino County, according to authorities who said they are investigating the incident as a murder-suicide. Another student is hospitalized in critical condition.

San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said at a press conference Monday afternoon that it appears 53-year-old Cedric Anderson of Riverside headed to North Park Elementary School just before 10:30 a.m. He checked into the office and headed to the special needs classroom where his wife, 53-year-old Karen Elaine Smith, was a teacher.

Once in the classroom, Anderson used a "high-caliber revolver" to fire at Smith, fatally wounding her, Burguan said. Two children were standing behind her and were hit in the gunfire. In total, 15 students, two adult aides and Smith were in the room at the time.

Eight-year-old Jonathon Martinez died shortly after being airlifted to Loma Linda Hospital, according to Burguan. The other student, identified only as a 9-year-old boy, was in critical condition as of late Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, police operations continued around the school on Monday, as well as at Anderson's home in Riverside, according to Burguan. A third area was being searched in the Los Angeles area.

Students from the school were taken to California State University San Bernardino for safety. They were then taken to a nearby high school where parents were picking them up.

School officials said the parents of the two students involved in the shooting have been notified. The school will be closed for the next two days, according to a message posted on the school district's Twitter account.

Police initially said students were taken to Cajon High School but Burguan later said students were being taken to the local CSU campus. Parents, however, are asked to go to Cajon High School.

When the shooting first happened, another nearby school ordered students to shelter in place. Cal State University San Bernardino told students to stay where they were until further notice.

"My heart and prayers go out to the victims of this horrible act and to all students and members of the North Park Elementary School community. I want to thank the first responders, teachers and school administrators who were there to protect the students in harm's way," Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said in a statement.

"As a mother and grandmother, today's senseless violence is a tragedy no parent should ever have to face," she said. "I ask everyone to join me in keeping all the victims and those impacted in your prayers."

In 2015, 14 people were killed and 17 others wounded in a shooting at a center for the disabled in San Bernardino. The two suspects, 28-year-old Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 27 were later killed in a shootout with police.

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All images by Renee Schiavone/Patch