Police: School Lockdown Saved Kids From California Gunman

Police say countless lives were saved Tuesday when school officials in a tiny Northern California town blocked a gunman “bent on killing people at random” from entering an elementary school. Four people were killed and 10 others were injured, including one student, when the gunman tore through the town of Rancho Tehama early Tuesday and shot people at random. But authorities at Rancho Tehama Elementary School quickly put the building on lockdown after hearing gunfire in the area and students hid under their desks as the gunman tried to break in. “This individual shooter was bent on engaging and killing people at random. I have to say this incident, as tragic and as bad as it is, could have been so much worse,” Tehama County Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston said, praising the school staff for their “courageous and professional” response. The gunman, who has not been identified, rammed through the school gate and tried to enter the building but was only able to shoot through windows and walls. He was shot dead by police after a 45-minute shooting spree throughout the town.