Shooting in Santa Maria leaves two schools on lockdown for nearly two hours

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – El Camino Junior High School and Robert Bruce Elementary School were placed on lockdown for nearly two hours on Monday afternoon while Santa Maria Police investigated a nearby shooting, according the police department.

Officers received reports of shooting somewhere on the 800 or 900 block of North Railroad Avenue in Santa Maria just before 3 p.m. on Monday, according to Detective Russ Mengel.

One vehicle had apparently fired shots into another car, Mengel said, adding that the suspect car fled and crashed just a few blocks away.

Two of the people in the suspect vehicle were arrested by officers, and one fled and is still at large, Mengel said.

The schools reopened from the lockdown around 4:30 p.m., according to El Camino Junior High staff.