Santa Monica, California, has been the scene of a shooting rampage by an unknown gunman, outside College Campus today. In a nearby incident, two people died in a house fire, thought to be connected to the shooting incident. Reports are still coming in, but Sky News is reporting 6 dead and 5 injured, some critically.
The sources said the gunman allegedly set the home on fire, opened fire on several cars and appeared to try to carjack two vehicles. One of the carjackings occurred near the campus library and college police station.
Nearby, President Barack Obama attended two Democratic National Committee fundraisers at the Santa Monica home of media mogul Peter Chernin. As the fundraiser was underway, there were reports of the incident at nearby Santa Monica College.
Obama lunched with about 100 people, then attended a private reception with 35 attendees. Among the Hollywood heavyweights present were Disney’s Bob Iger, J.J. Abrams, Haim Saban, Jim Gianopulos, HBO’s Mike Lombardo and Sonny Ward.
The shooting incident forced the President to depart the fundraiser by car, rather than by helicopter as originally planned, and reports are still coming in on those injured.
Timeline of deadliest-shooting-rampages in USA published in LA Times.