Teen killed, another wounded in shooting near Calif. school

FAIRFIELD, Calif. – A 16-year-old boy was killed and an 18-year-old critically wounded Friday when what police described as a gun battle between a pair of rival groups broke out near a Northern California High School.

Two people were arrested, including one who fled into the nearby Armijo High School gymnasium, where about 500 parents and students had sought refuge.

The other suspect was captured at a home in a nearby neighbourhood.

Both were arrested without incident, and police said they weren’t seeking any other suspects. Neither was identified.

“Preliminary investigation indicates the shooting was a gun battle between two groups,” the Fairfield Police Department said in a statement released late Friday.

Officers arrived at the school shortly after 5 p.m. following reports of gunfire in the neighbourhood, authorities said.

The two shooting victims were taken to a hospital.

“Unfortunately one of the shooting victims, a 16-year-old male, has died from his injuries,” the police statement said. “The second shooting victim is an 18-year-old male currently in critical condition.”

Police locked down the campus for hours following the shooting.

As they investigated, they moved hundreds of students and parents who had gathered for an event on the school’s football field into the gymnasium.

It was there, police said, that they learned that one of the suspects had sneaked in with the crowd.

As police continued to investigate, they arranged for a meeting place off campus where parents could pick up their children.