Northern California Shooting 'Rampage' Leaves 5 Dead: Sheriff

RED BLUFF, CA — A "shooting rampage" through a rural community in Northern California Tuesday morning left five people dead and injured 10 others, two of whom were children, authorities said. The suspected gunman, who authorities described only as an adult male, was among the dead.

At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Tehama County Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston told reporters that authorities received multiple 911 calls about shots fired at Bobcat Lane and Fawn Lane in the city of Corning. Directly after that, Johnston said authorities received multiple 911 calls for shots fired at various locations, including at an elementary school.

No children were killed in the shooting but two were injured. Johnston said one child was shot at the school and another was shot in a vehicle that was fired upon by the shooter. A woman who was in the car taking her kids to school was also wounded and suffered serious injuries. The gunman appeared to pick victims at random and authorities said they currently have seven different locations in the community where shootings took place, Johnston said.

"People died here today folks, this is a very tragic event for all of us, there are children involved, it's an emotional thing," Johnston said.

After the initial shooting, Johnston said the suspect reportedly took a vehicle and went "on a shooting rampage throughout the community." The suspect then entered Rancho Tehama Elementary School where he shot at multiple classrooms, Johnston said.

The suspect engaged with two of the responding officers who returned fire, killing the suspect, Johnston said.

Johnston said they have recovered a semi-automatic rifle and two handguns that were reportedly used by the shooter.

Johnston said the suspect was arrested earlier this year and charged with assault with a deadly weapon against a person who was killed Tuesday. He also said law enforcement was aware of a domestic violence incident from Monday involving the suspect.

Officials did not name the suspect, however, The Sacramento Bee identified him as Kevin Janson Neal, 43.

Johnston said authorities are currently seeking search warrants as they investigate the shootings.

Five of the victims were taken to Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California, three of whom have been been released thus far, according to a spokeswoman. Three of the patients were minors. Separately, three people were being treated at a hospital in Redding. The Record Searchlight reported two more victims were taken to St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff. The hospitals haven’t released the extent of the injuries.

In a statement released Tuesday evening, Corning Elementary School District said the student who was shot at the school is in stable condition.

"We do not have any further information regarding students' current medical condition. The District has accounted for all of the students and staff present at the time of the incident," the statement read. "School staff is commended for their courageous and professional response to this terrible incident. The school was able to go on lockdown very quickly and effectively, which prevented any further injury or violence."

The school will be closed until further notice, the district said.

A Rancho Tehama resident named Brian Flint told Record Searchlight that his roommate was among the victims and the gunman was a neighbor. Flint said his neighbor "has been shooting a lot of bullets lately, hundreds of rounds, large magazines,”

“We made it aware that this guy is crazy and he’s been threatening us," Flint told the newspaper, describing the living situation as "hell."

In a statement to the public, Gov. Jerry Brown said he was saddened to hear about the shooting.

"Anne and I are saddened to hear about today’s violence in Tehama County, which shockingly involved schoolchildren," Brown said. "We offer our condolences to the families who lost loved ones and unite with all Californians in grief."

Rancho Tehama is a small community in Northern California with a population of about 2,100, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The school is about 130 miles north of Sacramento.

Watch: At Least Five Dead After California Shootings

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Photos credit: Jim Schultz/The Record Searchlight via AP

The Associated Press contributed to this report.