Originally Published: 14 NOV 19 11:12 ET

    (CNN) — At least five people have been injured in a shooting at a high school in the Southern California city of Santa Clarita, and authorities are looking for the shooter, officials said.

The shooting happened Thursday morning at Saugus High School, some 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

Deputies are looking for a suspect described as an Asian male in black clothing, the department said on TwitterThe suspect is believed to be a student at the school, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told CNN affiliate KABC.

Five patients — two in critical condition — have been taken to Henry Mayo Hospital or are on their way, the hospital said on Twitter, with a hashtag referring to the school shooting.

“If you live in neighborhoods anywhere near Saugus High, PLEASE LOCK DOORS and stay inside,” the sheriff’s department said on Twitter. “If you see suspect, male dark clothing, in backyards, etc. CALL 911”

Emergency workers took at least three people out of the school on gurneys, and large groups of people have been walking out single-file with armed escorts, aerial footage from CNN affiliates shows.

The shooting happened about 20 minutes before the start of school, according to Hannah de Caussin, whose daughter attends Saugus.

All schools in Santa Clarita’s William S. Hart school district are locked down as a precaution, the department said.

Saugus High School has about 2,400 students, according to the district.

The-CNN-Wire

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