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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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A search is underway for a shooter after one person was killed and three others were injured following a graduation ceremony at a high school in California.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting in the parking lot of Fairfield High School around 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday.
According to ABC30, gunfire erupted shortly after the conclusion of a graduation ceremony for Sem Yeto High School, a continuation school that shares a campus with Fairfield High, and as people were gathering to take pictures.
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Ilana Israel Samuels, a spokesperson for the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, told Newsweek: "The shooting took place after the Sem Yeto High School graduation ceremonies had ended, and the police are gathering details. This is an active investigation and we have no additional information to share at this time. Our thoughts are with the individuals affected."
Officer Michelle Belyea, a spokesperson for the Fairfield Police Department, told reporters that four people had been shot. "One is deceased and three others are receiving treatment at local hospitals," she said.
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What Police Have Said About the Shooting
At a news conference at 11 p.m., Belyea confirmed that an 18-year-old was killed in the shooting. The ages of the wounded victims are 11, 20 and 25, she said.
"We don't have any information that there's an ongoing threat to the community at this time," Belyea continued, adding that the investigation is active and ongoing.
The officer said no one was in custody in connection with the shooting, and she did not provide any further details or a description of the shooter.
Suisun City Mayor Alma Hernandez posted on Facebook earlier on Wednesday evening that an "active shooter chase" was taking place in Fairfield.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Fairfield Police Department at (707) 428-7300.
District To Proceed With Classes
Classes at all schools in the district will be in session on Thursday, Jennifer Sachs, the superintendent of the school district said in a message to families on Wednesday evening.
"Our mental health team will be available at our Sem Yeto campuses in the morning to offer support to our students and staff," Sachs added.
"Further, District staff will be on site for additional support. If your student attends another FSUSD school and needs support, please contact the school office," the message continued.
Witnesses Describe Shooting
Ryan Murphy told KCRA 3 that he was looking for family members when the shooting broke out a few feet from where he was.
"Seeing the glass shatter from the windshield of the car that got hit and I'm just like 'woah,'" Murphy said. "I stood frozen for a second. All I seen was some people started running past the car that was hit."
Robert Dorsey, a 17-year-old graduate, told the station he saw some of the victims who were injured in the shooting.
"I didn't witness all four people getting shot, but I did see a little girl get carried out," he said.
Amanda and Luis Prieto, a couple who lives next to Fairfield High School and has a 17-year-old son enrolled there, told KCRA how the shooting unfolded.
Amanda Prieto said she had been on the phone in her backyard when she heard about 10 to 12 shots. "I looked over the fence and people were just screaming and running through the parking lot. It was horrific," she said.
Luis Prieto said first responders had shown up within minutes of the shooting. "There was actually a person being tended … pretty much in our backyard. Don't know if it was a gun-inflicted wound or somebody that got trampled because there were several people running," he said.
Amanda Prieto added that it was the third shooting she had witnessed at the school in the past three years.
"I was just immediately terrified and thought, You know, these kids can't even graduate," she said. "We have a lot of fear."
This is a developing news story. More to follow.
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