FRIDAY, 9:45 A.M. UPDATE:
Taft High School is closed Friday as investigators continue to piece together the suspected gunman's motive.
Students told 17 News 16-year-old Bowe Cleveland was critically wounded in the shooting. A source close to Cleveland told us overnight that the teen is out of surgery and in a medically-induced coma but in stable condition.
Sheriff Donny Youngblood would not identify the shooter but students say the suspected gunman is 16-year-old Bryan Oliver, a student at the school. Investigators say he walked into his first period science class armed with a 12-gauge shotgun. Authorities say he then took aim at another student but missed.
Teacher Ryan Heber and campus supervisor Kim Fields convinced the gunman to put his weapon down.
The gunman told officials he had been bullied and said he knew his intended victims and had run-ins with them before. Parents told us the gunman was caught last year with a hit list.
"I can tell you that we are investigating that angle and there is probably a likelihood that something like that occurred. We've heard it from several different people we are still interrogating the suspect," said Sheriff Youngblood.
Youngblood says the gunman had about 20 more rounds of ammunition in his pocket and there were 28 kids in the classroom.
School officials say they normally have an armed Taft officer on duty but, Thursday, that officer was snowed in.
3:00 P.M. UPDATE:
The Kern County Sheriff's Office is requesting any parents needing to pick up their children from Taft Union High School please respond to Wildcat/Woodrow to take custody of your children.
1:15 P.M. UPDATE:
Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, along with Congressman Kevin McCarthy, Taft Police Chief Edward Whiting, held a news conference earlier Thursday afternoon, updating the community on the shooting at Taft High School in which two people were injured.
Sheriff Youngblood detailed the heroics of a science teacher and a campus supervisor who were able to detain the shooter and talk to him until he put the gun down Thursday morning. Youngblood says the student, a 16-year-old boy, walked into the first period class at Taft High School, halfway through class, with a 12 gauge shotgun and multiple rounds. He shot one student, then tried to shoot another before the teacher intervened. Police arrived shortly afterward and took the student into custody. The student who was shot was taken to Kern Medical Center and is said to be in critical but stable condition. The teacher who was able to talk the student down was also hurt but only sustained minor injuries.
Taft High will be closed tomorrow as the investigation continues.
10:00 A.M. UPDATE:
Sheriff's officials say two people have been shot at Taft High School. We are also told someone has been taken into custody.
Kern County Fire officials say one victim received only minor injuries and refused treatment at the scene, the other person was airlifted to Kern Medical Center with unknown injuries.
The reports started coming in at 9:00 a.m. Deputies are now on scene at the school. Earlier, they told 17 News they were doing a room-to-room search. They say the scene is still not secured.
17 News has been trying to reach school officials to find out what is going on with the other students and when and where parents can pick them up, but we haven't heard yet.
17's Kiyoshi Tomono is on scene gathering information.
Original report is as follows:
At least two people were shot at Taft High School Thursday morning. It happened at about 9:00 a.m. and as of 9:30, students had been evacuated to the football field and there were reports one person was in custody.
Details were still sketchy at 9:45 a.m. but the Sheriff's Department has confirmed a shooter is in custody and at least two people have been wounded.
Hall Ambulance dispatched three ambulances and a medevac helicopter.
KGET has four teams at the scene and will have full coverage beginning at noon, and continuing coverage on KGET.com
