Gunfire erupts at California college

At least three people were wounded when shots were fired at a California college, and an alleged gunman was apparently taken into custody, witnesses and reports said.

At least two of those injured were in a critical condition in hospital after the shooting at Santa Monica College on Friday. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center spokesman Mark Wheeler said that the third victim is in a serious condition.

A spokesman at the California Highway Patrol (CHP) told Al Jazeera that one possible suspect is in custody and sweeps are being carried in case a second shooter is in the area.

The spokesman also said that the calls received by the CHP described a male shooting at cars and possibly a bus. 

Jeff Furrows of the Santa Monica Fire Department said two people were found dead in a nearby home which was burned down. A woman also was found with a gunshot wound in a car outside the burned home, he said.

ABC7 television earlier reported that the alleged shooter was injured.

President Barack Obama, on his way to a desert summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, was in Santa Monica speaking at a Democratic fundraiser about 5km from the scene of the reported shooting.

Secret Service spokesman Edwin M. Donovan told a pool reporter traveling with Obama: “We are aware of the incident and it is not impacting the visit. It’s a local police matter at this point.”

Santa Monica College is a two-year college with about 34,000 students.

A separate spokeswoman for the California Highway Patrol, Sergeant Denise Joslin, told local television that there were no reports of fatalities, “but that is not something that I would rule out.” 

“We are not sure that it was a single shooter yet,” Joslin added.