SAN BERNARDINO, CA - APRIL 10: Police officers stand guard at North Park Elementary School following a shooting on campus on April 10, 2017 in San Bernardino, California. Two people died, including the suspected shooter, and two children were wounded in the apparent murder-suicide attack. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Cedric Charles Anderson has been identified as the shooting suspect responsible for killing three, including himself, at San Bernardino’s North Park Elementary school Monday.
What Happened?
A gunman opened fire in North Park Elementary School Monday in San Bernardino. He killed his estranged wife, a teacher, and an 8-year-old student before fatally shooting himself, police say. Another student, 9, was also wounded.
Cedric Charles Anderson, 53, has been IDed as the suspected shooter. The school was evacuated amid fears of a mass shooting. Police say Anderson was not targeting students and the murder-suicide was likely the result of a domestic incident.
The teacher has been identified as Karen Smith, 53. According to the school district’s website, she was a special education teacher.
Police say 15 students and two adults were present in the classroom when the shooting took place. Authorities were called to the school at 10:27 A.M. for reports of shots fired and an active shooter. Police arrived at the scene within four minutes and found Anderson and Smith dead inside, with two students suffering from injuries.
Police say Anderson signed in at the main office, walking into the classroom and opened fire on his wife without saying anything. Smith was a SDC instructor, which means she worked in a Special Day Class, according to the school’s website.
Judi Penman, a former school board member, told The San Bernardino Sun the police department is “very well prepared” for situations like the shooting.
“It is one of the most organized and well-prepared police departments around. It interacts and trains with the city police department, and they are well prepared for this type of situation,” she told the newspaper. “What I am surprised at is how this person got onto the school campus. The schools are very safe and it is extremely difficult for a stranger to get on campus.”
Authorities say the two injured students were not the targets and were only shot due to their proximity to Smith.
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Who Was Cedric Charles Anderson?
Cedric Anderson, 53, was a Riverside resident and estranged husband to Karen Smith. Police Chief Jarred Burguan said the couple had only been married a few months before separating, which lasted about a month to a month and a half. Burguan said there was no history of police involvement in the relationship.
Smith has children, including an adult child, who are safe, Burguan said.
Though he couldn’t provide specifics, Burguan did say that Anderson had a criminal history, including arrests for domestic violence, weapons and drug charges. According to him, these incidents preceded his relationship with Karen Smith.
