King City High School student shot; police unveil suspect image

UPDATE 3/21/17 5:14 p.m.: The King City Police Department is releasing a surveillance picture of one suspect tied to a shooting and attempted homicide in front of King City High School Tuesday morning.

Officers said the shooting started with a report of shots fired near the 700 block of Broadway around 11:01 a.m. They didn’t initially find a crime scene, but later discovered the incident on Mildred Ave., in front of Robert Stanton Theater, which is on the high school campus.

Officers said an 18-year-old male independent study student had been shot twice after two suspects approached his car from across the street and started shooting. He was on his way to pick up homework assignments from campus, according to police.

After the shooting, officers said the victim drove home and a family member drove him to the hospital. Both suspects are still on the run and police are asking any witnesses for more information.

UPDATE: The California Highway Patrol is scouring the area around King City High School and beyond after it’s understood there are two gun men involved in the shooting of a male victim outside the school entrance earlier today.

Robert Masterson, Chief of Police at King City Police Department says “What we have so far preliminarily is that two subjects approached him on foot and opened fire on the vehicle”.

“One subject was last seen running northbound on Mildred the other was seen running onto the high school grounds,” he said.

The Chief said he did not know whether the suspects had two handguns or just one and the victim appeared not to know the suspects.

Though speculation abounds, the Chief says it’s too early to know whether the incident could be gang related.

Police converged on King City High School after a victim was shot near the school entrance and the CHP is supporting efforts to find the gun men. The sheriff’s department is also assisting the King City Police Department on the case.

Although the schools is no longer on lockdown, they are on what the chief called “Closed campus” status. Students were not allowed to leave for lunch.

One student speculated that his friend could be the male victim and could be a student at the school but this was not confirmed.

Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Cmdr. John Thornburg said the suspect fled toward the back of the school and the Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the shooting where the gun men opened fire at around 11 a.m.

King City has seen two homicides so far this year. We’ll bring more news to you as it comes to light.