Taft High School shooting update: Police say student used shotgun in attack and is in custody

TAFT, Calif. - Officials have said that a student and teacher were shot at Taft High School and the shooter has been arrested.

The shooting occurred about 9 a.m. at Taft Union High School, an oil and agricultural community about 120 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

The shooting took place in the Science Building at the school.

The student who was shot was flown to a hospital in Bakersfield, said Ray Pruitt, spokesman for the Kern County Sheriff's Department. There was no immediate word on the victim's condition.

"We have a suspect in custody," Pruitt said, adding that the person was a 16-year-old shooter.

Pruitt said he believes the student used a shotgun in the attack and that weapon has been recovered.

Sheriff Donny Youngblood said that the student shot one student who is in critical condition. The shooter attempted to shoot another student but missed and struck a teacher in the head.

Youngblood said that the student took the shotgun on campus and began shooting.

The shooter had multiple rounds of 12 gauge shells on him and was taken down by the teacher who was shot.

The teacher distracted the shooter to let the other 20 students leave the room.

The shooter told authorities that he was planning on shooting another student.

23ABC News received phone calls from people inside the school who were hiding in closets.
 
The Taft shooting came less than a month after a gunman massacred 20 children and six women at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., then killed himself.

That shooting prompted President Barack Obama to promise new efforts to curb gun violence. Vice President Joe Biden, who was placed in charge of the initiative, said Tuesday in Washington, D.C., that he would deliver new policy proposals to the president by next week.