Two found dead near Santa Monica shooting scene

Two men have been found dead in a fire-damaged home near the scene of a shooting outside a college in Santa Monica, California, a fire official said.

Jeff Furrows, of the Santa Monica Fire Department, said there was extensive fire damage inside the home, which is not far from a chaotic scene at Santa Monica College.

Mr Furrows said a woman was also found with a gunshot wound in a car outside the burned home.

Witnesses at the college describe hearing numerous gunshots, students scrambling to safety and a man dressed in black being taken into custody.

An area hospital reported receiving three victims, two in a critical condition and one in a serious condition.

Someone fired gunshots near the campus of Santa Monica College shortly before noon, police said, and several people were reported to be wounded.

Police Sergeant Rudy Flores said the wounded included the gunman, who was also reported to be in custody.

Mr Flores said numerous witnesses called to report that the shooting began with a man on a street corner near the college firing shots at vehicles, including a bus.

California Highway Patrol Officer Vince Ramirez said his agency began receiving 911 calls just minutes before noon.

“We understand one shooter was taken into custody shortly after we arrived,” he said.

Mr Ramirez said officers were searching the 38-acre campus after a witness said there may have been a second gunman who fled onto the campus.

Santa Monica College is a two-year college with about 34,000 students, a little more than a mile from the coastal city’s beaches and pier. It is also about three miles from where President Barack Obama was attending a fundraiser this afternoon.

Secret Service spokesman Max Milien said the agency was aware of the shooting but it had no impact on the president’s event.