San Bernardino Community Mourns Shooting Deaths Of Teacher, Student
SAN BERNARDINO (CBSLA.com) — A memorial continues to grow outside of an elementary school in San Bernardino where a 53-year-old man shot and killed his estranged wife and her student, and wounded another young boy.
Messages being shared across social media encouraged friends and family members to wear white in honor of the victims who were tragically shot.
North Park Elementary School will remain closed Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the school district.
FULL COVERAGE: San Bernardino School Shooting | Photos
Just before 10:30 a.m. Monday, Cedric Anderson, of Riverside, walked into Karen Elaine Smith's special needs classroom and opened fire using a large-caliber revolver, according to police.
Anderson managed to unload six rounds, subsequently killing 53-year-old Smith and one of her students, 8-year-old Jonathan Martinez.
A 9-year-old student was also struck by gunfire. At this time, he remains listed in stable condition at Loma Linda University Medical Center. His identity has not been released.
Anderson reloaded the gun and shot himself in front of 15 students in the classroom.
The school was placed on lockdown, and roughly 600 students were taken to Cajon High School for safety. Hours later, children were reunited with their parents.
As the day progressed, new details about the shooter emerged. According to police, Anderson had a criminal record that included domestic violence and weapons charges.
A SWAT team swarmed his home in the quiet Orange Crest neighborhood of Riverside, located about 40 miles away from the elementary school.
Anderson's son, Jacob, emerged from the front door with his hands raised.
Detectives recovered a laptop from the residence to trace the shooter's activity on social media.
No threats were found at the home.
A preliminary investigation revealed Anderson was able to enter the school by simply telling the front office staff that he had something to drop off to his wife, which ultimately led to the apparent murder-suicide.
According to police, the school staff followed correct security protocols.
For updated information about the school and resources available for parents and their children dealing with tragedy, click here.
