Gun rampage leaves three dead in the US

Two police officers were killed and two people wounded in California on Friday when a man went on a shooting spree. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Two police officers were killed and two people wounded in California on Friday when a man went on a shooting spree.
  • The violence began around 10:30 am when a police deputy went to investigate a suspicious vehicle parked at a hotel in Sacramento.
  • As with previous such shootings, the episode revived debate on gun control, even though the gun involved was legally acquired.
  • A US student who had issued chilling warnings on Twitter opened fire in a school cafeteria on Friday, killing at least one person

LOS ANGELES,

At least two police officers and a civilian have been killed in shooting sprees in Los Angeles.

Two police officers were killed and two people wounded in California on Friday when a man went on a shooting spree, officials said, having finally caught up with the suspect after he went on the run.

The violence — which was stretched over several bloody hours and at least two counties — began around 10:30 am when a police deputy went to investigate a suspicious vehicle parked at a hotel in Sacramento.

As he approached, the driver opened fire and struck the deputy in the forehead, Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones told a news conference.

The deputy, Danny Oliver, a 15-year veteran who was married with two daughters, was killed.

The shooter and a woman accomplice who was also in the car sped away from the scene.

A short time later, they carjacked a vehicle and when the driver resisted, he too was shot in the head, Jones said.

His condition was not immediately known.

The duo then carjacked another vehicle, this time a red pickup truck, without injuring the driver, and sped into neighbouring Placer County.

Somewhere along the way, two more police officers were shot. One of them was killed, authorities told local media.

TRACKED DOWN

A police spokeswoman in Placer County, Dena Erwin, said a suspect had been tracked down and taken into custody.

Local media identified him as Marcelo Marquez and said he was arrested by police in a home and carried away on a stretcher.

The woman suspect was arrested earlier.

Elsewhere, a US student who had issued chilling warnings on Twitter opened fire in a school cafeteria on Friday, killing at least one person and critically injuring three before taking his own life.

Terrified classmates dived for cover as the gunman, identified by media reports and fellow students as Jaylen Fryberg, launched his attack in a school in the northwestern state of Washington.

Police said the investigation was still ongoing.

As with previous such shootings, the episode revived debate on gun control, even though the gun involved was legally acquired.

“I heard one loud bang and I was wondering what it was. Then I heard about four or five more.

"People started screaming and people started getting to the ground and going for the nearest exit,” said a student identified as Jordan.

“So I hit the ground. But after he’d already put some bullets into the backs of students,” he told CNN.