Updated: 3 shot, 1 killed, gunman sought on Sacramento college campus

Police officers stand near the body of a victim killed in a shooting at Sacramento City College, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015, in Sacramento, Calif. The shooting occurred in a parking lot near the baseball field on the college campus. (Renée C. Byer/The Sacramento Bee via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
Police officers stand near the body of a victim killed in a shooting at Sacramento City College, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015, in Sacramento, Calif. The shooting occurred in a parking lot near the baseball field on the college campus. (Renée C. Byer/The Sacramento Bee via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Police hunted for a gunman Thursday night who opened fire at a Sacramento college parking lot, killing one person and wounding two others, authorities said.

One victim was declared dead at the scene, another was taken to a hospital with injuries, and the third was only grazed by a bullet and was being questioned by investigators, said Dustin Poore of Los Rios police, who patrolSacramento City College.

One of the victims is a student at the college, but it was not immediately clear which. It was also unclear whether the others had any connection to the school.

The shooting near a baseball field at the edge of campus began as a verbal dispute between the group of men, one of whom pulled out a gun and fired, Poore said.

The suspect, wearing a white T-shirt and cargo shorts, fled on foot.

After the shooting occurred around 4 p.m., the campus was locked down for about two hours before police officers had cleared all the buildings and allowed students and staff to leave.

They had not found the suspect, and expected he had left the campus, though investigators were still combing the area, said Sgt. Doug Morse of the Sacramento Police Department, which was taking over the homicide investigation.

Evening classes were canceled.

Police descended from all directions on campus shortly before 4 p.m. after the gunfire broke out, and students told to stay in their classrooms and lock the door were filled with fear.

"My stomach dropped," student Lars Beesom told KCRA-TV. "It was definitely really, really scary, but we all stayed calm.

Beesom added, "It's school. It's supposed to be a good environment, and you don't want to be scared here."

Jackie Flores, 50, who lives across the street from the parking lot, said she heard four or five shots fired. "It all happened so fast," she told the Sacramento Bee.

Classes were in session at the two-year college in central Sacramento with a student body of about 25,000. The fall semester began Aug. 22.

The corner of campus where the shooting occurred is surrounded by strip malls with chain restaurants on one side and a golf course on the other.

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