The victims died in a brief, 16-second gun attack shortly before classes began on Thursday at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles. The attack came on the 16th birthday of the suspect, named by US media as fellow student, Nathaniel Berhow. The suspect then shot himself in the head and is in a critical condition. Students and teachers spoke of how they barricaded themselves in classrooms amid chaotic scenes, carrying out an active shooter drill that many schools have implemented in recent years following deadly attacks around the country.
