A 16-year-old student is in critical, but stable condition following a shooting in a southern California high school today.
Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood says the shooter was a student who attended Taft Union High School in Taft, CA, but didn't show up for his first class of the day.
Instead, Youngblood says the alleged shooter interrupted a class already in session and fired at a student. The shooter then tried to shoot another student, but missed. Another student is in the hospital for possible hearing loss after the gun fired close to her head.
At a news conference, officials commended the teacher, whom they say talked the student into surrendering.
"The teacher at that point was trying to get the students out of the classroom and engaged the shooter, who had numerous rounds of shotgun shells, of 12 gauge shot gun, numerous rounds in his pockets, and he engaged the suspect in conversation," Youngblood said.
"If it weren't for this teacher and the quick response, we don't know what might have happened. He had several, maybe as many as 20 rounds," he added.
Taft is a community of about 7,000 some 120 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
